


Harry Potter and the D'Angeline Inheritance

by Gemfae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Kushiel's Legacy - Jacqueline Carey
Genre: Anguisette! Harry, Child Abuse, Dominant Draco, Draco/Harry main pairing, F/M, Good Malfoy Family, M/M, Magical Inheritance, Magical Tattoos, Manipulative Dumbledore, Mentor Snape, Rating May Change, Submissive Harry, Themes from Kushiel's Legacy, eventual slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-11
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-03-22 08:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3721306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemfae/pseuds/Gemfae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night of his eleventh birthday Harry is visited by a strange man who tells him that he is not a freak; he is a wizard, and the surprises don't stop there! He is also the recipient of a  much-coveted inheritance, and is one of a select group of wizards who are referred to as D'Angeline's. D'Angeline's have stronger magic than normal witches and wizards, and magical Marques which begin to appear on their eleventh birthdays. Harry gains a family, friends, and a magical inheritance, and all that in one day; what will the rest of the year have in store for him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Severus Snape

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters; they are the property of J.K Rowling. I do not own Terre D'Ange, or any of the characters from Kushiel's Legacy; they are the property of Jacqueline Carey.
> 
>  
> 
> Note: I have taken a fair few ideas from the Kushiel's Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey and altered them to fit my story. For those of you who have not read the series, I highly recommend it; I will try to explain any important concepts that come from that world in the story itself, but if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Note: The rating and warnings will be updated as the story is updated.

Harry lay on the floor of the hut, listening to the sound of the storm outside and counting down the seconds until his birthday; only ten seconds left…five…three…At precisely midnight the roar of thunder was punctuated by a rather large ‘crack!’ which sounded as if it in the hut itself. Harry shot up and looked around, only to spot a strange man standing behind the couch. For several seconds the stranger simply stared at Harry, giving the boy plenty of time to examine him.

The man was certainly odd, Harry decided. He had limp black hair and cold black eyes, and his skin was pale enough to rival that of a vampire; perhaps he was a vampire-Dudley always said that it would serve him right if a vampire killed him. Of course, he never said that in front of his parents, as Uncle Vernon would have been furious; he didn’t hold with nonsense about mythical creatures and magic. Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and returned his focus to the stranger, who was dressed all in black-black shoes, black slacks and a black shirt-with a black cloak clasped over his shoulders. He held in his hand a thin stick, and his thin lips curled up in a sneer as he took in his surroundings.

“Harry Potter, I presume?” he asked in a drawling voice, and Harry nodded silently, “My name is Severus Snape, and I have come because you chose not to reply to your letter. Why, exactly, are you on the floor boy?”

“I-Dudley has the couch, and there wasn’t anywhere else to sleep in here,” Harry replied uncertainly, “Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia are in the bedroom. Should I-do you want me to wake them up? I don’t think Uncle will be pleased to see you.”

“I daresay Petunia will be even less pleased,” the man-Severus-smirked, “However, I shall awaken them myself. Perhaps you should awaken-did you say his name was Dudley?-so that we can talk.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said, getting to his feet and looking at his cousin nervously; Dudley didn’t like being woken up, and Harry was certain he would bear the consequences. Then again, he eyed Mr. Snape as the man knocked on the bedroom door, waking Vernon would be even worse.

“Dudley,” Harry called softly, gently shaking his cousin’s shoulder. No response. “Dudley; wake up!” He shook him more firmly, and was rewarded with an elbow to the face as Dudley turned over on the small couch. Harry glared at his cousin and grabbed the blanket, giving it a good pull and causing Dudley to fall onto the floor with a yelp.

“You’ll pay for that, freak!” Dudley yelled as he sat up, grabbing Harry by the shirt and pulling his arm back to hit him, “Just wait until I tell Dad!”

“Let me go!” Harry said, “I had to wake you up! Someone’s here!” He pointed behind the couch, and Dudley’s eyes widened as he saw Mr. Snape knocking on the bedroom door again. Dudley let his cousin go and watched the dark-haired man with interest; his father would not be happy!

“Go away, freak!” Vernon’s voice thundered, “And don’t think you won’t be punished for bothering us in the morning!”

“I do not know, nor do I care, who you are calling a freak,” Mr. Snape called through the door, “However it would behoove you to join us in the main room once you are decent.”

“WHO’S THERE?!” Vernon yanked the bedroom door open and pointed a shotgun at Mr. Snape, “GET THE FUCK OUT! YOU HAVE THREE SECONDS!”

“And you have no manners,” Mr. Snape sneered; he pointed his stick at the gun, and Harry watched in disbelief as it vanished, causing Vernon’s face to pale, “Count yourself lucky that I decided to vanish it instead of turn it into a poisonous serpent; next time you will not be so lucky. Petunia; you would do well to advise your husband not to threaten me.” Petunia’s pointy face appeared over Vernon’s shoulder, and Harry could see her glaring at their un-invited guest.

“You!” She sneered, “What are you doing here?”

“I have come to speak to you about your nephew,” Mr. Snape said calmly as he walked back over to the sofa; his lip curled once more, and with another wave of his stick-or wand, Harry supposed- he conjured two arm chairs. He looked at Harry and pointed at one; “Sit.” The voice was soft, but still commanding, and Harry hastened to obey. The chair looked stark-it was covered in plain black fabric-but it was exceedingly comfortable, and Harry smiled at the man.

“Thank you, Mr. Snape,” he said gratefully, “How did you do that?”

“That will be Professor Snape,” the man replied, “And I used magic, of course.”

“So magic is real?” Harry asked, belated adding, “Professor.”

“Of course magic is real,” Professor Snape sneered, “What sort of foolish question is that?”

“I’m sorry,” Harry replied, “Uncle Vernon always said it wasn’t real…he doesn’t like magic.”

“That’s enough, boy!” Vernon’s face was red when he and Petunia joined them, sitting on the sofa with Dudley between them, “You will speak respectfully of me, or else! As for you!” He turned his attention to the professor, “You wasted your time coming out here; the boy won’t be going with you. I will not pay for him to go to some phony school and learn how to scam people with magic tricks!”

“Oh, and I suppose conjuring chairs was a magic trick, was it?” Professor Snape retorted, “Ignorant Muggle. And you haven’t told your nephew anything about magic…about his parents?”

“We told him what he needs to know,” Petunia snapped, “My sister and her husband were useless freaks who got themselves killed, and then Vernon and I had to take in their worthless son. We’ve raised the boy, fed him and clothed him, and he should be grateful and not ask unnecessary questions.”

“Then my job will be even more difficult,” the professor scowled at Petunia, “for he knows nothing that he needs to, and now I have to tell him the truth. First, however, let me give you some information; Harry Potter has been on the Hogwarts list since birth-he will be going and you have no say in the matter, for the law requires him to be trained in his magic. Second, Mr. Potter has a unique heritage through his father, and he will be spending the remainder of this summer, as well as the majority of each summer from here out, with others of his kind. Again, you have no say in the matter. I am not here to get your permission, but merely to inform you of the facts. Mr. Potter may come home at Christmas and Easter if he so chooses, but I doubt that will happen. Tomorrow morning he and I will take our leave, and you will likely not see him again until August twenty-ninth, as he will need you to take him to the train on August thirty-first. Now, I have done my part to inform you of what will happen, so feel free to return to your slumber, and you may take that…boy” he sneered the word as he nodded at Dudley “with you.”

“Take him if you want to ,” Vernon spat, “but I won’t be paying any money so that the freak can learn to be even more freaky, and if you take him then don’t bring him back; I won’t have that nonsense in my house. He will either be normal, or he’ll live elsewhere. And boy-you will keep your mouth shut about this family, or else!” He gave Harry a hard stare that made the brunet tremble, then stood and grabbed his wife and son by the arm, pulling them to the bedroom where he slammed the door shut.

“And Albus wonders why there is such a low opinion about Muggles,” Professor Snape murmured, “I shall really have to speak to him about his decision to leave Potter here; I wonder if I should fear for his sanity…” He turned to look at Harry with those cold eyes, but for some reason it didn’t frighten Harry. “Well, Mr. Potter, I suppose I should start by telling you how you came to live with the Muggles-that is what we call non-magical people-as you were given a false story.”

“Thank you, sir,” Harry said, “They didn’t like to tell me anything. Er, I think Uncle Vernon brought some tea with us; I can fix some, if you like?”

“Do not bother,” Professor Snape replied, and Harry watched in awe as the man conjured a table and a tea set out of thin air; he picked up the tea pot-steam was coming out of it-and asked; “How do you take your tea?”

“Um, plain is fine,” Harry said; he’d never been allowed cream or sugar at home. Actually, he’d rarely been allowed tea at all, mostly drinking water from the faucet when he was thirsty. The professor raised one thin eyebrow and poured the tea, adding two sugars and a splash of cream before handing it to him.

“I have never yet met a little boy who did not like cream and sugar in his tea,” the man said as he fixed his own cup, “My godson will use the entire bowl of sugar and half the cream if you let him. Have a scone as well.” Harry accepted the pastry with a thanks and nibbled on it as Professor Snape began his story.

“I will begin by telling you that magic is real,” he said, “and you are a wizard. Young witches and wizards attend magical schools to learn about their power, and that is why you have been receiving letters for the past week. I will give you your letter in a moment. Both of your parents were magical, and they attended Hogwarts together; they were in the same year as me, in fact. Towards the end of our time in school, a very dark wizard came into power. He wanted to kill all Muggles and Muggleborns-Muggles are non-magical people, and Muggleborns are witches and wizards who have magic, but no known magical ancestors-and keep all the power in the pure blood families. His name-and do not ask me to repeat it-was Voldemort, although the magical community called him You-Know-Who, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. His followers called him the Dark Lord.” Professor Snape paused for a moment to drink his tea and then continued.

“He gathered power and followers quickly, and they spread panic throughout our world. Many Muggles were killed, and so any others who opposed him. Albus Dumbledore-the headmaster of Hogwarts, which is the school you will be attending-is said to be the only man he was afraid of.

“One night, the Dark Lord went to your parents’ home; no one is sure exactly why he went there, but he ended up killing James and Lily. After he killed them, he turned his wand on you, but for some reason the spell backfired and the Dark Lord vanished. You survived, with nothing but a scar from the curse, and Albus gave you to your aunt and uncle to raise. For the past ten years your parents memories have been honored by everyone in our world, and you have been hailed as the savior who delivered us from the Dark Lord. Any questions?”

“Are you here to kill me?” Harry asked quietly, quickly adding, “You said-you said his followers called him the Dark Lord, but then you called him that too…” Professor Snape closed his eyes for a moment and then shook his head before looking at Harry once more.

“I was a follower when I was younger,” he admitted, “However I switched sides when I realized how evil the Dark Lord was. I still call him the Dark Lord out of habit, nothing more. Do you believe me? If not I can ask for someone else to be sent here.” Harry was quiet for a moment as he thought everything over, and then made his decision.

“I think…if you wanted to kill me you would have,” he said, “So I trust you. Why did I get sent to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia? And why didn’t anyone check on me? My first letter said the cupboard under the stairs, so someone had to know where I was living.”

“Albus thought you would be safer and happier with family,” Professor Snape replied, “And he said he had someone watching you-did you ever meet Arabella Figg?”

“Mrs. Figg?” Harry was startled, “She would always babysit me when my aunt and uncle didn’t want to take me with them. She heard Uncle Vernon yelling at me all the time, and she saw my bruises-” Harry’s mouth snapped shut; he hadn’t meant to say anything about the bruises! Vernon had just finished warning him not to say anything, now he was in for it! This man might seem nice, but no one ever believed him about the bruises and they always hurt worse if he tried to tell someone about them; he could already feel a slight ache on his ribs, which was the last place Vernon had hit him.

“What bruises?” the dark man demanded, “Show me.” Harry sighed as he stood up, taking off his long-sleeved shirt.

“You won’t be able to see them,” he mumbled.

“Of course I can see them,” Professor Snape scowled, “I would have to be blind not to...although…” the man waved his wand and frowned. “Someone has given you a glamouring potion to hide the bruises…do they start to hurt if you tell someone about them?” Harry nodded and the man frowned even more. “I will have to give you a counter potion tomorrow. For now, I can cast a pain relief charm.” Severus waved his wand in a complex movement, and Harry smiled when the ache faded. “You may put your shirt back on, and here is your letter.” Harry put his shirt on and accepted the letter, reading it greedily once he pulled it out of the envelope.

The letter told him he was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was signed by Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress. It said that it awaited his owl by July thirty-first…which was today!

“Professor Snape, what does it mean by they await my owl?”

“Owls are how we send letters,” Snape told him as he pulled a piece of parchment out of his robes, “A moment, Mr. Potter, as I write a reply.” Harry tilted his head to read as the professor wrote;

_“Albus,_

_I have given Harry his letter. Tomorrow I will take him to get his school things, and I will advise him on what to expect from his inheritance. I expect he will hear his parents will as well, and I shall make arrangements for his housing the remainder of the summer. I must speak to you on a serious matter when I return to the school._

_Severus Snape”_

“Trina!” Professor Snape called, and Harry gasped as a funny-looking creature appeared; the creature was short, only coming to his knees, with large bat-like ears, blue eyes the size of tennis balls, and a long nose, and it was wearing a pillow case edged in pink lilies. “This is my house elf,” the professor informed him, “I did not bring an owl, so she will take care of it for me. Trina-take this letter and send it to Albus Dumbledore.”

“Yes, Master,” Trina bowed until her nose touched the floor, “Trina is doing as master commands.” With a “pop” the house elf was gone.

“Now, Mr. Potter, do you have any more questions before we retire for the night?”

“Just…just two, I think,” Harry replied; he had a million questions, but only two that he felt he wanted answered immediately, “First, I was wondering what you do for the school.”

“I am the potions master,” Professor Snape replied, “I will teach you how to brew potions-tomorrow we will get you a beginners book. And you other question?”

“What is my inheritance that you keep mentioning? Is it like money?”

“It is not money, although you do have some left you by your parents,” Snape said, “I will tell you about your inheritance tomorrow; it will be better to discuss it after we get some sleep. And so…” Professor Snape stood up, motioning for Harry to do the same. With a flick of his wand the two armchairs became a single bed, and with another flick the sofa turned into a slightly larger bed, which Snape walked over to. “Have you no pajamas?”

“No, sir,” Harry replied, “I usually just sleep in my clothes, or in a shirt.” Snape scowled and pointed his wand at Harry, turning his ragged jeans and long-sleeved shirt into a pair of black pajamas with a green dragon design; he then turned his own clothes into a pair of plain black pajamas before climbing in bed.

“We will get an early start,” Professor Snape informed him, “I plan to leave no later than eight o’clock, so be prepared.”

“I can get up whenever you want me to,” Harry assured the man as he climbed into his own bed, “Thank you, Professor Snape. No one has ever been this nice to me before.”

“If you consider me to be nice, I have to seriously worry about your mental health,” came the acerbic reply. Instead of hurting his feelings, it brought a smile to Harry’s face; this man seemed cold, but he had come to rescue him from the Dursley’s, and Harry would always be thankful to him for that.

“Good night, Professor,” he called.

“Go to sleep, brat,” came the command, and Harry rolled onto his side to hide a smile; this was already his best day ever, and he the sun wasn’t even up yet!


	2. Gringotts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick notice; I updated this from my phone, no spell check! If you notice any glaring errors, please let me know!

The sun shining through the dirty window awoke Harry the next morning, and he squeezed his eyes shut, determined to hold onto his dream for as long as possible. It had been wonderful; a darkly sarcastic man had come and told him he was a wizard, and that he would be going away for school…He had done magic, and been kind to Harry in a weird sort of way. Most of his words had been cold, but the man hadn’t insulted him or hit him-

“Time to get up, Mr. Potter,” the voice had him jerking upright, eyes opened wide, “I do hope you don’t intend to lie about all day, as we have much to do.”

“N-no sir,” Harry replied, hurriedly climbing off his bed; a quick glance at the watch Dudley had dropped on the floor last night showed that it was seven-thirty in the morning, “I’m ready to go now, if you like.”

“In your pajamas?” Snape drawled, “I know you were raised by Muggles, but I hardly think that is an excuse.” Professor Snape turned his pajamas back into clothes, only he replaced the ratty jeans and torn shirt with a pair of black slacks and a green button up shirt, which made Harry frown.

“Get used to it,” Professor Snape sounded amused when he caught Harry’s pout, “You will be wearing decent clothing that fits from now on; new clothing is one of the first items on our list of things to take care of. Now, sit down at the table and have some breakfast so that we may leave.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said, joining Snape where he was sitting at a small table; the man had somehow provided fried eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and hashbrowns, as well as some orange juice. Harry took a piece of toast, but Snape narrowed his eyes and filled his plate with two eggs, four pieces of bacon, two sausage links, a scoop of hashbrowns, and another piece of toast. He also pushed a jar of raspberry jam towards him. Harry had a small smile on his face as he slathered jam on his toast and began to eat. He didn’t even manage to eat half of the food on his plate before he was full, and he washed it down with his orange juice.

“You should finish your food,” Professor Snape said mildly.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Harry hung his head, “I can’t-I don’t usually eat much.”

“Hmm, that is something else we shall have to correct,” the man frowned and waved his wand to vanish the food, “If you are finished then we shall take our leave. Come stand beside me and take a hold of this.” Snape had pulled an old frisbee out of his robe, and Harry grabbed hold of it as instructed.

“This is a portkey,” the man explained, “It is a way of travelling quickly; this one will take us to Gringotts, which is the wizarding bank. Hold on tight, and stand with your feet apart, as I am doing.” Harry copied Snape’s stance, keeping his feet a shoulder’s width apart; Snape continued his instructions, “Bend your knees slightly, and do not be surprised if you still lose your balance; it is to be expected for your first time. Now, prepare yourself; it will activate in ten seconds.”

Harry counted down in his head, but the jerk behind his navel still caught him by surprise, and he gasped as he was jerked off the ground and spun around very quickly before he felt solid ground beneath him once more. Harry did lose his balance upon landing, but managed to catch himself on one knee, his right hand resting on the ground.

“Very good,” Professor Snape nodded his approval, “Many end up on the ground after their first travel by portkey, and still others never manage to keep their balance. With practice you will become adept at portkey travel.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Harry beamed up at the man, who scowled in return.

“Welcome, Master Snape,” Harry spun around at the gravelly voice and couldn’t help but stare at the creature before him, “Welcome, Mister Potter. I am Griphook and I have been assigned to assist you today.” Griphook gave them a shallow bow, accompanied by a sneer.

“Er, thank you, Griphook,” Harry replied, copying the bow. He forced himself to stop staring, but still wondered what kind of creature this Griphook was. He didn’t notice Griphook’s look of astonishment at the greeting, but Severus did and he decided to make use of the knowledge.

“Yes, thank you, Griphook,” he echoed, bowing as well, “I know that you are a busy goblin with many accounts to oversee, and so I appreciate you taking the time to meet us here.” Harry was grateful for Snape telling him that Griphook was a goblin, even if that had not been the mans intent.

“It is my duty,” Griphook replied, “Have you come to see the Potter vaults?”

“Harry Potter needs to make a withdrawal for the school year,” Professor Snape said, “Here is his key. I also thought we could perhaps hear James and Lily Potter’s wills before we depart.” Griphook examined the key for a moment before nodding.

“This seems to be in order,” he said, “I will take you to the vault first, while Vogard locates the will. Follow me.”

Harry walked close to Professor Snape as they left the small room they had appeared in; Griphook beckoned another goblin over and gave whispered instructions before continuing on as the second goblin ran off. Harry looked around the bank with wide eyes; the floor was smooth white marble with gold veins, and columns of the same material were evenly spaced throughout the cavernous room. The ceiling was illuminated by numerous chandeliers, all dripping with crystals, and in the middle of the ceiling was a painting of a dragon guarding treasure. Harry walked with his head told back so he could examine the mural and gasped in awe when the dragon spread its wings a blew out a stream of fire.

"You will find that pictures in the Wizarding world often move," Severus  told him, "Keep up, Mr. Potter."

"Yes sir," Harry said obediently, wrenching his gaze away from the ceiling and instead taking in the activity around him.

Dozens of goblins were behind the high countertops, counting gold, weighing gemstones, and assisting other customers. Still more goblins were escorting customers to the back of the room where a pair of stone doors stood open, while other goblins came in and out of the doors alone or in groups.  
Griphook led them to the stone doors, and Harry was surprised when the room beyond turned out to be a cave with a mine cart track.

“This cart will take us to your vault,” Griphook informed him, “Have you been told about our money system?”

“No, sir,” Harry replied, and the goblin’s eyes widened.

“Not sir,” he said, “Just Griphook.”

“Thank you, Griphook,” Snape interjected smoothly, “I can explain to him while you navigate.” Griphook nodded his agreement and climbed in the front of the cart, while Harry sat next to Professor Snape in the back.

As soon as they were seated the cart began to move at a breakneck pace, and Harry leaned over the side excitedly.

“Please do not lean over the edge,” Professor Snape sounded weary as he grabbed the neck of Harry's shirt to pull him back, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? No, don’t answer that. You need to know about money; are you paying attention?” Harry nodded. “Good. We use three types of coins for our money; bronze Knuts are the smallest denomination, followed by silver Sickles and gold Galleons. There are twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, and seventeen Sickles to a Galleon. One Galleon is worth about five pounds, of course there is a fee for exchanging the money. Any questions?”

“No sir,” Harry shook his head, “It sounds pretty simple. What will I need to buy?”

“There was a list included with your letter which we can reference while we are out shopping; I know the essential items you will need, and the list will tell you what specific books to buy. We appear to be slowing down,” he grabbed the back of Harry’s shirt again when he tried to lean over the edge; “No, for Merlins’ sake! Would it kill you to remain sitting until we come to a complete stop?”

“Sorry sir,” Harry replied, “It’s just so exciting! I’ve never done anything like this before!”

“On the way back I shall use a restraint spell,” Professor Snape threatened as the cart stopped.

“Your vault, Mister Potter,” Griphook announced, nimbly jumping from the cart. Harry looked at Snape, and leapt down after the goblin once he received a nod. He watched eagerly as Griphook inserted the key into the lock, and the door separated in sections to reveal Harry’s vault.

“This-this is all mine?” Harry whispered, staring at the piles of bronze and silver and the large heaps of gold; in the back of the vault there was even a small pile of gemstones!

“It is,” Griphook confirmed, “If I may make a suggestion?” Harry nodded. “Take only Galleons with you; shops will give you change as needed. Take enough to last you the year, until at least next July in case you are not able to return before then.”

“Thank you; I’ll do that,” Harry smiled, then frowned as he realized, “I don’t have anything to put it in.”

“Here,” Professor Snape handed him a black velvet pouch, “This is spelled so that you won’t lose it and no one else can open it. It is also equipped with a conversion charm, so if you need to spend money in the Muggle world you won’t have to return. Now, you will need all the basic school supplies, and you would do well to purchase a few extra books to compensate for your upbringing. Judging by the clothing you had on yesterday you will also need a full wardrobe-hopefully we will run into Narcissa and she can assist with that part. And, of course, you will want some money for trifles and the snack cart on the train…Take three hundred Galleons, just in case.”  
“Master Snape, if I may?” Griphook interjected, “Gringotts has implemented a new system this year. Any client who has a school letter can be issued a special card which will be linked to their account; this card can be issued for use only one day out of the year, and can only be used to purchase school materials, which includes clothing. I can issue one for Mister Potter, and then he will only need the Galleons to pay for non-school items.”

“That is a novel idea,” Professor Snape said, “Very well,  one hundred Galleons should suffice, and then a…what is this new card called?” Harry filled his money pouch as Professor Snape and Griphook continued to converse.

“A school expense card,” Griphook replied, “If it is successful we may look into offering additional services similar to that of Muggle financial institutions.”

“It is worth looking into,” Snape nodded, “Are you done in your vault, Mr. Potter?”

“Yes, sir,” Harry replied, pulling the drawstring and then putting the pouch in his pocket, “I’m ready to go.”

They all climbed back into the cart, and Harry pouted when the professor followed through on his threat, casting a spell that worked like a seatbelt to keep Harry in his seat.

The cart ride was over soon enough, and then the two wizards followed Griphook to an office. The office had four desks-two against the back wall and one each on the two side walls-with two chairs in front of each desk and a bookcase on the wall behind it. One of the desks at the back wall was being used; Harry could see a dark blue barrier surrounding the desk, and two figures inside the barrier. Griphook led them to the desk on the left wall and took his seat, before gesturing for them to take the seats in front of him; once they were seated Griphook activated a blue shield, and Professor Snape briefly explained that it was a privacy ward, which would prevent anyone not inside the ward from hearing their conversation. Sitting on the desk was a dark wooden box which seemed to glow with a faint wooden light.

“This box contains the wills of James Charlus Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans,” Griphook informed them, “Bear witness that the wards are still intact, and this is the first reading of the will.”

“The first reading of the will?” Professor Snape questioned, “Albus said he heard their wills ten years ago.”

“These wills have been warded in the document vault since August first, 1981,” Griphook said as he perused a note that accompanied the box, “No one has heard them since they were sealed, although it says here that Lily Potter nee Evans left a letter which was given to Albus Dumbledore upon her death, giving instructions on where they wished Harry Potter to be raised. I need a drop of blood from Mister Potter to deactivate the wards.”

“Blood magic is deeply frowned upon in our world,” Professor Snape informed Harry, “There are times when blood is required for a spell potion but, for the time being, unless it is being used by a goblin or being supervised by a goblin, you do not want to give anyone your blood. If anyone else requests it, even a healer, refuse until you have a chance to speak to me, understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Harry nodded, extending his hand; Griphook took hold of it and drew a small silver knife which he used to slice the palm of his hand. The blood dripped on the wards, and when they began to shimmer Griphook released his hand; Professor Snape immediately took hold of it and cast a spell to heal the cut, scowling when Harry smiled at him.

“On this thirty-first day of July in the year 1991, Harry James Potter and Severus Tobias Snape bear witness to the reading of the wills,” Griphook said, “The will of James Charlus Potter is as follows:

‘I, James Charlus Potter, being of sound mind and sound body, do hereby relate my will to the goblin Griphook-May his gold multiply and his enemies perish at his sword.

Firstly, to Remus Lupin; Moony. I give you the cottage in Germany-the wards are far stronger than even the Shrieking Shack, and I know you would enjoy the history. I also leave you one third of the monies in my personal vault.

To Sirius Black; Padfoot…the brother I always wanted. Well, since you went and got yourself disinherited I suppose you need a house-and not that dismal Grimmauld Place. I leave you the villa in Greece-I know how much you like the wine…and the exotic views, if you know what I mean; maybe you'll finally find a...view...you like and eventually settle down. I also leave you one third of the monies in my personal vault, and all of my maurader’s stuff. In addition, and most importantly, I leave my son, Harry, to be raised by you if both Lily and myself are dead.

To Peter Pettigrew; Wormtail. I leave you one third of the monies in my personal vault and give you permission to take any artefact you like out of the vault. It’s not much, but you were always secretive so I’m not sure what else to give you.

All my other wordly possessions, and access to the Potter Vaults are to go to my wife, Lily Potter. If she should die before me, I leave everything to my son, Harry James Potter.

To Severus Snape, I simply leave my apology. I realize looking back that I was an utter bastard during our school years, and I hope someday you can forgive me; if you can’t forgive me, I at least hope you do not hold my son responsible for my actions. In addition, I hope you are able to find what you have been seeking.’

“Thus reads the will of James Potter,” Griphook concluded, “The will of Lily Potter nee Evans is as follows:

‘I, Lily Elizabeth Potter nee Evans, being of sound mind and sound body, do hereby relate my final will and testament to the goblin Griphook-May his vaults be overflowing and his enemies suffer eternal torment.

To my dear friend, Remus Lupin, I leave my history tomes; you were the only one as interested in it as I. I also leave you my Charms journals, with hope that you will one day share them with my son.

To Alice Longbottom, I leave my jewelry, except for my wedding rings and the emeralds which my mother gave me; the wedding rings are to be held until such a time as my son may choose to give them to his intended, and the emeralds are to go to my sister, Petunia Dursley nee Evans.

To Sirius Black-you’d better not corrupt my son! I leave you my red and gold photo album; I think you'll appreciate the contents.

To Severus Snape, I give my forgiveness. Hateful words were said in a stressful moment, and deep down I always knew you didn’t mean them. I wanted to accept your apology back then, but I thought it would be harder; I knew that our fates were divergent and so I tried to make it easier on myself. If anything should happen to James and myself, I want you to look after Harry. Sirius is his godfather and as such will have custody, but I need to know someone is keeping him out of trouble instead of getting him into it. If for any reason Sirius is not able to take Harry-I love the man, but Sirius is so reckless!-then I give you, Severus Tobias Snape, brother of my heart, full custody of my son, Harry James Potter. Oh, I also give you my potions journals, provided you share them with Harry when he is old enough.

All of my other worldly possessions I leave to my son, Harry James Potter.

I have written a letter and had it filed, but let it be noted here that custody of my son, Harry James Potter, should go to one of the following people, in the order they are listed:

Sirius Black  
Severus Snape  
Alice and Frank Longbottom  
Augusta Longbottom  
Xenophilius and Auruelia Lovegood  
Albus Dumbledore  
Minerva McGonagall

Only if none of the above can take him, should Harry be given to my sister, Petunia Dursley nee Evans. I love my sister, but she has no understanding of or sympathy for magic. If she is given custody of my son, then I request a member of the ministry check in on him several times a year, at random, to ensure his well-being.

Finally, let it be known that on the twenty-ninth of July, 1981, James Potter and I placed our home under the Fidelius Charm. Our Secret Keeper is Peter Pettigrew; James and Sirius trust him, but I have been uneasy ever since that day. If anything should happen to us, look to Peter first.’

“So ends the final will and testament of Lily Potter nee Evans,” Griphook concluded, “Do you have any questions regarding the wills, Mr. Potter?”

“I-I know Professor Snape is alive,” Harry said hesitantly, “So…why was I sent to my aunt and uncle? Are all the others on the list dead?”

“No, they are not,” Professor Snape was the one to answer, “Sirius Black is…indisposed, which we need to look into. Frank and Alice have been in the hospital for ten years, and are unlikely to recover. Augusta, however, is raising her grandson, Neville. Xenophilus is alive, although his wife is not, and Albus and Minerva are both still living. I will have to speak to Albus and discover why he went against the Potter’s wishes.”

“Does this mean you will honor their wishes and take custody, Master Snape?” Griphook asked. Professor Snape looked startled for a moment, and his eyes showed uncertainty when he turned to look at Harry…Harry, who looked so much like James Potter, but had Lily’s vibrant green eyes. Those green eyes shone bright with a hope that Severus could not bear to crush.

“If I am deemed a suitable guardian then I would accept custody of Mr. Potter,” Snape said softly, “To do so, I will need to accept that which I have been denying, so that I may provide him with a home.”

“I have the Prince ring right here,” Griphook turned to the bookcase and brought down a small black box, “If you are able to wear the ring, then you will become Lord Prince.”

“Will that affect my gaining custody of Mr. Potter?” Snape asked, “Since the will lists me as Severus Snape?”

“It will not,” Griphook said, “The intent is what matters, and the magic will recognize you.” Snape nodded and accepted the box; he took out the silver ring and placed it on his right ring finger. The ring flashed briefly, and Griphook nodded. “It is done; you will now be Lord Severus Prince. Here are the custody papers, Lord Prince.” Snape accepted the scroll and began to read through it.

“Why did he say Sirius was indisposed?” Harry questioned, speaking softly so as not to disturb his new guardian.

“It was believed that Sirius Black betrayed your parents,” Griphook replied just as softly, “However if your mothers will speaks the truth, then Peter Pettigrew was the one truly responsible for what happened that night.”

“How is he responsible? Was he there?” Harry wanted to know.

“He was the Secret Keeper,” Griphook told him, “You and your parents were living in a house that was under a very special spell; this spell hid the house from everyone except the Secret Keeper. Only someone the Secret Keeper told the Secret to would be able to find your house. An example; your house is under the Fidelius Charm and Lord Prince is the Secret Keeper. Lord Prince has to tell you where the house is before you can find it, and if you try to tell someone else where the house is all they will here is nonsense. Someone with whom the Secret Keeper has not shared the Secret could be standing on the front porch and they would not know the house was there.”

“So this Peter knew the Secret,” Harry said slowly, trying to make sure he understood it, “and he was the only person who could tell someone how to find the house, which means that he had to have told Voldemort the Secret, otherwise he would not have been able to find the house.”

“Very good, Mister Potter,” Griphook praised, and Harry beamed; he’d never gotten so much praise in his life, let alone in a single day!

By this time the new Lord Prince had finished reading the custody contract, and he picked up the silver quill waiting for him; he added his signature to the bottom without even a flinch as the letters briefly appeared on the back of your hand.

“Oh!” Harry gasped, “Did that hurt? Why did it do that?”

“It hurt very little,” Professor Snape, or rather, Prince, said, “That was a blood quill, which is used for binding contracts; it ensures that if I go overboard on punishments or intentionally hurt you then I will feel the pain ten-fold. Now then, while we are here, what can you tell me about Mr. Potter’s financial records?” Griphook pulled a file in front of him and flipped through it, frowning after a moment.

“It appears that someone has been making withdrawals from his account,” Griphook announced, “One thousand Galleons is taken every month; some of it is converted to Muggle money, some has been put into the Hogwarts account, and still more has gone into an account belonging to the Order of the Phoenix. I will look into this further, and any withdrawals that have not been used for the care of Harry Potter or the upkeep of the Potter properties will be returned. Lord Prince, will you hold the Potter seal until Mister Potter comes of age?”

“I will,” Professor Prince nodded, and Griphook fetched the seal, which was a gold ring. Professor Prince pulled a long gold chain out of his shirt and put the seal on it before tucking it away again. “Please have a copy of both the Potter account records and the Prince records sent to me as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” Griphook nodded, “It will be sent out before close of business today. Now, has Mister Potter been advised of his inheritance? It was not mentioned in either will.”

“I intend to address that after lunch,” Prince replied.

“His hour of birth is six-oh-four p.m.,” Griphook informed him, “He needs to be told before then so he will know what to expect.”

“Thank you,” the dark-haired man bowed his head, “I will make sure to go over it with him before then. Will you look into the truth behind Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black? You can take the fees need to hire an investigator from the Prince vaults.”

“Yes, Lord Prince,” Griphook confirmed, “I will let you know what I find out. If you have no other questions, I will escort you to the lobby.”

“There is no need,” Professor Prince replied as he stood, beckoning to Harry to do the same; recalling the wills he bowed and said; “May your gold multiply and your enemies perish by your hand.”

“Thank you, Griphook,” Harry bowed as well, “May your vaults overflow and your enemies die at your hand.”

“May your fortune increase and your enemies know endless despair,” Griphook addressed the reply to both of them, and then Harry allowed his new guardian to lead him out of the office; as they walked through the lobby he felt excitement take hold once more-he couldn’t wait to see what awaited him outside the bank!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! It's going to be a few more chapters before Harry learns about his inheritance; he has some shopping to do first...not to mention a certain meeting at Madame Malkin's. Hope you enjoyed it, and please review!


	3. A Boy Named Draco

Harry followed his new guardian, whom he would have to remember to call Professor Prince, he realized, out of the bank and into a busy shopping district. He couldn’t help but stare in awe at all the shops, each with brightly colored signs and some of the buildings shaped oddly. All around him were busy shoppers, most of them wearing long robes all in different colors, although a few had on regular clothes like him.

“Keep close to me, Harry; it would not do for us to get separated, and we must hurry as we are on a schedule.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said, obediently lengthening his steps so he could walk next to his new guardian, “Um, do I call you Professor Prince now? Or Lord Prince, like Griphook did?” Black eyes looked down at him appraisingly for a moment, and then he received a nod.

“Until school begins, you may call me Severus,” the man replied, “When we are at Hogwarts you will address me as the other students do. Since I am your guardian it would be awkward to insist on such formality at home.”

“Yes sir,” Harry replied happily, “Thank you.” Severus glanced down at him again, giving him an odd look, but said nothing as they continued walking.

Harry continued to look around in wide-eyed awe as he observed the items being sold. To his left, he saw a shop with large black pots out in front, and next to it was an apothecary; as they passed by, a witch was exiting and mumbling about a new price increase for snake fangs and how she would just go catch her own snake. Further down, they passed a pet store and Harry could see several kids standing at the windows and peering in at some puppies that had three tails. A group of older kids passed them talking about playing something called ‘squid itch’ and needing new brooms, causing Harry to frown and wonder why they would want to make a squid itch, and what had happened to their old brooms; perhaps the squid had broken them?

“We’re here,” Severus drew him out of his thoughts about squids and brooms, and Harry saw that the shop they were in front of had a sign above the door declaring it to be ‘Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions’; “We will get your school uniform here, and perhaps some additional clothing as well.” Harry nodded as Severus opened the door, and he preceded the man inside, where a smiling witch was just finishing up with another customer-the customer was a tall lady with grey hair, wearing a hat with a stuffed vulture on it.

“Alright, Madame Longbottom,” the witch said, “That will be forty galleons and fourteen sickles; if you are paying with a school expense card then there is a ten percent discount.”

“I was not informed of the school expense card,” Madame Longbottom replied, sounding putout, “I shall have to speak to my account manager about that. Here you are, Madame Malkin.” Harry heard the jingling of coins, and then the lady turned to leave, and he saw a small, chubby boy with brown hair and wide brown eyes standing beside her. Madame Longbottom caught sight of them, and her hard brown eyes showed a spark of curiosity.

“Professor Snape,” she inclined her head in greeting, “I had not thought to see you out shopping with a child; has Albus sent you out to escort one of the Muggleborns?”

“Yes, he did,” Severus confirmed, “However, it came as a shock to me when I discovered my charge for the day should actually have been in my custody for the past ten years; I am now this boy’s official guardian, and in order to take custody of him I have accepted my birthright as Lord Prince.”

“About time,” Madame Longbottom sniffed, “And who, may I ask, is this child that is trying to hide behind you? Seems as nervous as my Neville.”

“I am trying to keep quiet so that we are not overwhelmed,” Severus began, “so I must ask that you do not talk about it outside. My new ward is Harry Potter.” He ignored the gasp coming from Madame Malkin and looked down at the nervous boy hidden half behind him; “Harry, come out and say hello to Madame Longbottom.” Harry reluctantly stepped up beside Severus, but kept his gaze on the floor in front of him.

“Hello, Madame Longbottom,” he said softly, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“And a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Potter,” was the reply, “This is my grandson, Neville; he starts Hogwarts this year as well, and I imagine you will be seeing him over the summer too. Neville, stop gawking and greet Mr. Potter.”

“Hi, Potter,” Neville’s greeting was, if possible, even quieter than Harry’s.

“Hi, Longbottom,” Harry replied, then added, “You can-if you want to-you can call me Harry.” He looked up shyly, and saw that Neville’s brown eyes had widened even further.

“O-okay, Harry,” he said, “And-will you call me Neville?” Harry nodded, and the two shy boys smiled at one another.

“Excellent,” Madame Longbottom said, “We have to get going, and I am certain you have much shopping to do as well, Lord Prince; Neville and I will be taking lunch in the Leaky Cauldron at one, if you would care to join us.”

“You don’t have to call me Lord Prince,” Severus told her, “You may call me Severus. If we do not take lunch earlier than that, then Harry and I will join you.”

“Very good,” Madame Longbottom nodded once, “And you may call me Augusta. Come along Neville.” Neville gave Harry a small wave which the other boy returned, and then the Longbottom’s left the shop.

“Lord Prince,” the shopwitch stepped out from behind the counter, “I can see to Mr. Potter-oh, I mean Harry;” she corrected herself after a glare from Severus. “Umm, just the Hogwarts uniform?”

“You can start with that, Madame Malkin,” Severus confirmed, “He will need an entire wardrobe, however I would like to get his school clothing taken care of first. Harry, go along with Madame Malkin and I will remain out here.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry agreed, only glancing back once as he allowed the witch to lead him behind a curtain to the fitting room.

There were two stools in the room, with a tri-fold mirror behind each stool. One of the stools was already occupied by a boy with pale skin, blond hair so light it was almost white, and grey-blue eyes. Harry was ushered up onto the school next to the pale boy, and he studied him out of the corner of his eye, noticing that his facial features were very sharp, and he looked bored.

“Hogwarts?” the boy asked, his bored, drawling voice very similar to that of Severus’. “Me too,” the boy said when Harry nodded, “Father thought about sending me to Durmstrang, but Mother wouldn’t hear of it, and Hogwarts is supposed to be the best wizarding school, even if Dumbledore is a bit odd. Do you know what House you’ll be in?” Harry shook his head and the blond smirked, “Well, I suppose no one really knows until the time comes, but I know I will be in Slytherin; my family has always gone to Slytherin, and it’s the best House. Still, I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn’t be too bad; if I ended up in Hufflepuff though, I think I would off myself.” Harry made a noncommittal noise, not really following a word of what the boy was saying. It seemed a response wasn’t really required though, as the boy continued speaking without prompting while Madame Malkin and her assistant continued with their measurements.

“Do you play Quidditch?” Once again he didn’t wait for a reply before saying, “Father says I am a natural. I think it’s an injustice that we can’t have our own brooms in first year; my godfather works at the school, and I am trying to convince him to smuggle one in for me. I hope to see him today; he told Mother and Father he would try to meet us. Perhaps, if you’re parents agree, you can come along with us; I do so hate not having anyone my age around. By the way, where are your parents?”

“They’re dead,” Harry replied softly, “I’m here with my guardian.”

“Sorry to hear that,” the boy’s tone of voice didn’t really change, but he did turn his head to look at Harry properly since the first time the brunet had entered the shop, and Harry thought he saw a spark of sympathy. “My name is Draco Malfoy.”

“Harry Potter,” Harry replied automatically, and Draco’s eyes widened slightly before drifting up to look at the scar barely visible beneath his fringe. By this time Madame Malkin and her assistant had draped robes over both boys and begun pinning them up, but neither boy paid them much attention.

“Father said you have been missing ever since that night,” Draco said, “Where have you been living?”

“With my Muggle aunt and uncle,” Harry said, “I just found out I was a wizard today.”

“You just found out?” Draco’s voice was full of shock, “How is that possible? I mean, I know you had to have performed accidental magic, how did they explain that?”

“They didn’t,” Harry shrugged, then offered a quick apology to Madame Malkin when she scolded him for moving before he continued answering Draco’s question, “They never explained anything to me, just told me I was a freak and punished me whenever anything strange happened.” Harry’s voice became bitter, “I never even knew the truth about my parents; Aunt Petunia told me they died in a car accident. I don’t know anything about magic or…well, anything important, really.”

“Then you will need someone to show you around, and teach you about our world,” Draco extended his hand, “Shall we be friends, Harry?” Harry couldn’t stop the wide smile that blossomed across his face as he leaned over to accept Draco’s hand; they shook briefly, and Draco’s lips twitched in what was an almost smile. “Have you been told anything about Hogwarts?”

“Only that it is a school for magic,” Harry replied, “And I know one of the classes is potions because Professor Sn-oh, I mean Severus, told me.”

“Severus?” One pale eyebrow rose in question, “My godfather is Severus Snape; is this the same Severus you know?”

“Y-yes,” Harry was nervous again, since Draco was scowling slightly, “He-um; he was the one who brought me my Hogwarts letter.” He relaxed as Draco’s scowl lessened, but as Harry continued to speak the scowl intensified again; “He took me to Gringotts and found out that my mum named him my guardian, and he signed the papers today. He also took a ring from Griphook and now he is Severus Prince instead of Severus Snape.”

By the time he finished speaking, Draco was glaring at him, and Harry felt his heart sink as he realized he had probably lost his first friend, and he didn’t even know why. Maybe the Dursley’s were right and he really was a freak; Draco was his first-ever friend, and he hadn’t even managed to keep him for a full day! Maybe he was always meant to be alone, and Severus would leave him too. Harry lowered his gaze to the carpeted floor in front of him and blinked rapidly as his eyes burned with unshed tears; he might be a freak, but he wasn’t going to cry about it!

Harry was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice how Draco’s gaze had turned from angry to worried, and he didn’t notice when Severus entered the back room talking softly to someone else.

“Harry?” Harry jumped in surprise when Severus called his name, and then winced as Madame Malkin accidently stuck him with a pin.

“Oh, I’m so sorry dear!” Madame Malkin apologized, “Are you alright? I can cast a quick healing spell to take care of it.”

“No, thank you,” Harry said softly, “It doesn’t really hurt. You wanted me, Professor?” He kept his eyes on the floor even as he was speaking.

“I told you to call me Severus during the summer,” even without looking Harry knew that the man was frowning, “I see you have already met Draco; this is his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, and she will be helping to choose your wardrobe.

“Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy.”

“Why are you looking at the floor, Harry?” Draco demanded, “Don’t you know it’s rude not to look at someone when you greet them?”

“Sorry,” Harry bowed his head further, still refusing to meet anyone’s gaze.

“Harry, what’s wrong?” Severus asked, but the boy simply shrugged in response.

“Draco, darling,” a drawling feminine voice captured Harry’s attention, and he knew it must be Draco’s mother, “Has he been like this the whole time he was in here?”

“He has been quiet, Mother,” Draco replied, “but he looked at me when I was talking to him, and he did not seem to be upset until just before you came in.” There was a pause and then, “He got upset right after he told me that Severus was his guardian, but I don’t know why; when he mentioned his guardian earlier he was fine.”

“Do you not want me for your guardian, Harry?” Severus asked in a neutral voice, “If you would prefer, I can ask Madame Longbottom to take custody of you.” Harry shrugged once more, and heard Severus growl softly in frustration before commanding, “Look at me, Harry.”

Harry obeyed without thought; seconds later his gaze was captured by black eyes and he saw his conversation with Draco, as well as his recent thoughts, flash through his mind. When it was over, Harry backed away with a gasp, ignoring Madame Malkin’s soft chastisement.

“I see,” Severus placed his hands on Harry’s shoulders, and the boy met his gaze warily, “Harry, I know it will be difficult, but you need to forget everything those…Muggles ever said to you, or about you. After last night you should have realized they never told you anything but lies.” He lowered his voice, “You are not, and never have been, a freak. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said just as softly before darting a quick glance at the blond boy who was still scowling at him, “But…Draco-”

“My godson is spoiled and used to getting his own way,” Severus interrupted with an amused twitch of his lips, “He is merely upset that he was not the first to know I adopted you. Draco prides himself on being the first to know anything of importance; he will get over it, and you and I will talk more later tonight, when we have more privacy.” Severus backed away and addressed Madame Malkin; “Is he done?”

“The school robes are all fitted,” she replied cheerfully, “The boys can hop down, and we can discuss the rest of Harry’s wardrobe. Would you like to have a seat while I bring out the samples?”

“That would be fine,” Severus agreed, “Narcissa has agreed to assist me. Harry? Why don’t you look through your school list; I’m sure Draco would be willing to look over it with you and answer any questions you have.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry agreed, taking out his letter and then looking around for a place to sit.

“Over here,” Draco commanded, grabbing Harry by the wrist and pulling him to a corner away from the windows where two stools sat low to the ground, “I enjoy picking out my clothes, but when it is Mother’s turn I usually sit over here and read a book.” Harry sat down on one of the stools, keeping his gaze averted.

“What’s wrong with you?” Draco demanded, “Are you mad at me? If so, you could at least tell me what it is you believe me to have done wrong.”

“What?” Harry’s head shot up in surprised, “I’m not-I’m not mad at you! I thought you were mad at me! You were-you got mad when I told you Severus was my guardian. I thought you didn’t want to be my friend anymore.”

“I was not mad at you,” Draco countered, “I was merely upset at my godfather for not sharing such important information with me. As for not being friends…you would have to do something incredibly stupid to make me not want you as a friend.”

“Really?” Harry looked at him with hopeful eyes, and eagerly returned Draco’s smile, “I’m sorry for getting so upset; it’s just-I’ve never had a friend before.”

“Never?” Draco frowned, and Harry shook his head, “Why in Merlin’s name not?”

“My cousin beat up anyone who was nice to me,” Harry replied with a shrug, “The last time someone tried to be my friend, my cousin beat him up and then put him in the trash can outside. Then, Dudley and his friends chased me, but I was faster and I somehow got up on the roof. I was in a lot of trouble when I got home, and I never tried to be friends with anyone after that because I didn’t want them to get hurt.”

“Your cousin sounds like a monster,” Draco sneered, then asked in a hesitant voice, “You said-you said you got in trouble after you appeared on the roof.”

“I got a beating,” Harry answered the unasked question softly, deciding to trust his new friend, “My uncle beat me for being a freak and then locked me in my cupboard-I mean, my room-for a week.”

“Cupboard?” Draco’s eyes were wide; he’d caught Harry’s slip of the tongue and didn’t appear to be willing to let it go, “What do you mean you were locked in a cupboard?”

“I-can we talk about it later?” Harry pleaded, “I know Severus is going to make me tell him everything that happened, and I don’t want to have to go over it again. Please?” Harry hated begging, but if it would get him out of this conversation-even for a little while-then he’d do it.

“Fine,” Draco agreed reluctantly, “But you’ll tell me everything later.” Harry nodded his agreement. “Okay then, where is your school letter?” Harry unfolded the letter and Draco moved his stool closer so that he could read the list along with Harry. “It’s just a basic letter…oh; but you lived with Muggles. What do you have questions about? I can tell you anything you want to know.” The last was delivered with a superiority that made Harry smile before asking his first question;

“What are the houses you mentioned earlier?”

And so Draco launched into an explanation of the four Hogwarts Houses, followed by an explanation on everything Harry could possibly want to know about his new world.


	4. Lunch with the Malfoys’

“Squid itch!” Harry flushed as Draco laughed at him, “You thought-you thought they wanted to play ‘Squid itch’? What did you think the brooms were for?”

“I don’t know,” Harry pouted, “I just heard some guys say it when they were walking by! It’s not like I’d ever heard of Quidditch before either! Anyone from the Muggle world would think it was just a made up word.”

“Harry, Draco,” both boys looked up at Severus’ voice, “We are done here.” Harry and Draco quickly got to their feet, and Harry pocketed his letter once again before following Severus out of the back room with Draco at his side. When they reached the front of the store, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen was standing by the door; she had long blonde hair, slightly more golden than Draco’s, but her blue-grey eyes matched his exactly, and she had a friendly smile on her face.

“Are you feeling better, Harry dear?” she asked with some concern.

“Yes Ma’am, Mrs. Malfoy,” Harry replied politely, “I’m sorry about earlier.” He was feeling slightly ashamed about his refusal to look at her when they had been introduced earlier, and his overreaction to Draco’s irritation.

“Severus already explained,” Mrs. Malfoy said, “And please, call me Narcissa. Severus, will you and Harry be joining us for lunch? We are supposed to meet Lucius at Chez Pierre in ten minutes, at noon.”

“We are not exactly dressed for Chez Pierre,” Severus said drily, “So-”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Narcissa interrupted, “You are with me; they wouldn’t dare turn you away. Besides, you wouldn’t want to separate the boys so soon, would you?”

Severus looked down and sighed when he was met with a pair of pleading emerald eyes and a pair of narrowed grey eyes.

“Very well,” he conceded, “We shall join you for lunch.” He turned to address Madam Malkin, who was still standing at the counter. “Thank you for your assistance, Madam.”

He gave a small bow and then opened the door, gesturing for Narcissa and the boys to precede him back out into the alley. Severus saw that Draco walked next to Narcissa with his mother’s hand on his shoulder and, after a moment of silent debate, he placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder, startling the boy and earning a small smile. Narcissa smiled approvingly at him as she led the way out of Diagon Alley to Founder’s Lane, where Chez Pierre was located, along with several other upscale restaurants.

When they reached the restaurant there was a long line, but Narcissa simply swept past it and entered Chez Pierre with Severus and Harry close behind.

“Ah, Madame Malfoy,” the concierge beamed at Narcissa, “How lovely to see you. And you have guests! C’est magnifique!”

“Bonjour, Michele,” Narcissa returned the smile, “Yes, my friend Severus and his ward will be dining with us. Has my husband arrived yet?”

“Non,” Michele replied, “I have not seen Monsieur Malfoy yet. Would you like to wait, or shall I seat you?”

“No need to wait,” a drawling voice sounded behind them, and Harry turned to see a man who was obviously Draco’s father walking towards them. Mr. Malfoy had his son’s silvery hair, with pale blue eyes and a stern expression on his aristocratic face, “You may seat us, Michele.” The group was silent as Michele led them to a table in a curtained alcove to provide them with some privacy.

“Let me know if there is anything you need,” Michele bowed, then swept the curtain closed. Once they were alone, Harry saw Mr. Malfoy loosen up considerably.

“Hello, Cissa,” he greeted his wife with a chaste kiss, “How has the shopping gone so far? I see you convinced Severus to join us.” The man sat down at the head of the table, nodding to Severus and shooting a curious look at Harry, but didn’t say anything.

“Of course I did,” Narcissa replied with a smile as she sat on her husband’s right with Draco beside her; this left Severus to sit on Mr. Malfoy’s left with Harry next to him and across from Draco, “So far we have merely bought the boys robes, so we still have much to do after lunch; do you still have to attend a meeting at the school tonight Severus?”

“Same as every year,” Severus confirmed with a scowl, “Why he insists on calling a staff meeting a month early I will never understand. Will you be there this year, Lucius?”

“I will not,” Mr. Malfoy shook his head, “It was my turn, but the Board decided to send Delilah Greengrass instead, as we will be introducing some changes to the curriculum and insisting on some changes to the teaching staff; we decided that it would be best to have her go, as Dumbledore is less likely to object to her. She was happy to take my place, as she wants to see about changing the uniform as well since her daughter will be starting school this fall. Speaking of, who is your young companion? Did you finally annoy Dumbledore enough that he sent you to babysit a Muggleborn for the day?”

“Dumbledore cannot make me do anything I do not wish to do,” Severus sneered, “No, Dumbledore actually wanted that oaf Hagrid to escort my ward, but I intervened; I reminded him that the school charter says only a qualified teacher can escort Muggleborn children to Diagon Alley, and that Hagrid was neither qualified nor a teacher.” Severus and Mr. Malfoy shared a smirk, then Severus continued; “As the other teachers already had students to take care of, I volunteered for the assignment, and here we are.”

“Are you going to tell me who the young man is?” Mr. Malfoy pressed, “Or are you going to make the poor boy introduce himself?”

“The ‘poor boy’, as you so eloquently called him, is my ward,” Severus informed him, “As of today I am his official guardian.” Harry looked up at Severus curiously, wondering why he didn’t tell Draco’s dad who he was, and caught a glint of amusement in his guardian’s black eyes that made him realize Severus was playing a game with his friend, “This, Lucius, is my ward, Harry Potter; Harry, this is Lucius Malfoy, Draco’s father.”

“Hello, sir,” Harry said quietly, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“And you as well, young Harry,” Lucius’ eyes widened slightly, but otherwise his expression did not change, “I am certain my wife already gave you leave to call her Narcissa?” Harry nodded, “Then you may call me Lucius. Why don’t we order our meals, and then, Severus, you can tell me how this came about.”

Harry looked down at the menu in front of him and frowned; it was all in French! How was he supposed to order when he couldn’t even read the words? Maybe he could just point at something when the waiter returned…

“Have you ever had French food before Harry?” Narcissa asked.

“No, ma’am,” Harry replied, shaking his head.

“Then, if you like, I can order for you,” she offered, and Harry smiled his thanks, “Would you like chicken? Or perhaps some steak or seafood?”

“Chicken, please,” Harry replied, not wanting to get anything too expensive.

“Of course,” Narcissa smiled, “And for dessert?”

“I don’t need dessert,” Harry protested.

“This is a special occasion, Cissa,” Lucius spoke up, “I will have Michele bring out the deluxe sampler. Also, I know it is only lunch, but I think the boys should be allowed a little wine with our meal; after all, it is not every day we have a new addition to the family.” He smiled warmly at Harry, who returned the smile ten-fold; he couldn’t believe these people wanted him to be part of their family!

“I agree,” Narcissa beamed at her husband, before shooting a questioning look at Severus, “That is, of course, if it’s alright with you, Sev.”

“I have no objection,” Severus replied, “and I am ready to order.” He tapped his menu with his wand, and Harry watched as Narcissa and Lucius did the same. A few seconds later, salads and goblets of water appeared in front of each person, and a basket of bread appeared in the middle of the table.

“Now, Severus,” Lucius focused his attention on the man beside him, “Care to explain exactly how you ended up being Harry Potter’s guardian when no one has seen or heard from him in nearly eleven years?”

And so Severus told the Malfoy’s about his trip to inform Harry about his heritage, and what the Dursley’s had said, ending with the trip to Gringotts’ and the information in Lily and James’ wills. Harry watched the Malfoy’s faces carefully, and saw that both Narcissa and Lucius seemed to be upset that Dumbledore lied about reading the will, and Lucius appeared thoughtful when Severus mentioned that Sirius Black might be innocent.

“If he is indeed innocent,” Lucius said slowly as they started on their main courses, “Are you worried that he might take over custody of Harry?” Harry and Draco both looked on with interest, but remained silent as they ate their lunch; Harry enjoyed the special treat of wine, even watered down as it was.

“It’s a possibility,” Severus admitted, “However it is not something I intend to worry about just yet; first we will have to determine whether or not he is innocent, and then he will have to see a mind-healer before the ministry would consider giving him custody of Harry. It would be a few years at least.”

“Yes, and by that time the ministry would be willing to take Harry’s wishes into consideration,” Lucius agreed, “Where will you live?”

“We will have to stay at Spinner’s End for now,” Severus replied, “but tomorrow I intend to have the house elves begin making Prince Manor habitable.”

“I already told Severus they can stay with us until Prince Manor is ready,” Narcissa told her husband, “We have plenty of room.”

“Cissa is right,” Lucius said, “There’s no reason why you and Harry shouldn’t stay with us; Spinner’s End is no place for a child.”

Lucius and Narcissa spent the rest of the main course convincing Severus to bring Harry to stay with them, and Harry and Draco shared a smile when the dark-haired man finally conceded with ill-grace, just as the desserts appeared. Draco enjoyed getting Harry to try some of each dessert, and he shook his head in despair when Harry decided his favorite was a simple treacle tart. When the last dessert was finished, the adults discussed how to handle the rest of their shopping.

“We should start at Flourish and Blott’s,” Lucius suggested as they walked out of the restaurant, “Then we can make our way to the Cauldron Shop, the Apothecary, Ollivander’s and the Menagerie before heading home.”

“As long as we are home before five,” Severus said, “I need to speak to Harry about his Inheritance before then.”

“I wanted to look at the brooms,” Draco pouted, “Harry doesn’t even know how to fly yet, so he has to get a broom!”

“Harry will not have time to fly this summer,” Severus replied, “He will learn how to fly with all the other first years when school begins.”

“And, if he does have enough free time for a lesson or two he can borrow one of our older brooms for now,” Lucius added before Draco could work up to an argument, “Are we ready? Draco, you and Harry walk in front of us.” Draco pouted for another moment then grabbed Harry’s hand and moved ahead of the adults, pointing out the different shops as he led the way to Flourish and Blott’s.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Two hours later, Harry and Draco had gotten all of their books (With a few extra for Harry to make up for his years in the Muggle world) as well as quills, ink and parchment, new trunks for both boys, potion ingredients and equipment that passed even Severus’ high standards, and telescopes for Astronomy. After they got the rest of their supplies the boys got their wands from Ollivander’s; Draco’s was a Hawthorne wand with Unicorn Hair, and Harry’s was Holly with Phoenix Feather. Ollivander had been on the verge of saying more about Harry’s wand, but a sharp look from Severus had stopped him.

The groups’ last stop of the day had been the Magical Menagerie, where Harry and Draco had both received owls; Draco’s got an eagle owl he named Athena, while Harry got a snowy owl he named Hedwig, a name he had stumbled upon while skimming through his History of Magic book in Flourish & Blott’s.

Once their shopping was completed, Lucius led the way out of Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron-a rather dusty inn-where they encountered some of Severus’ colleagues. Professor Quirrel, a trembling, nervous man wearing a purple turban, was introduced at their Defense teacher, and Harry had to stifle a laugh when Draco rolled his eyes at the bumbling man. Also present was a rather large man with small black eyes and wild black hair with a beard to match. Severus introduced him as Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts. Hagrid had seemed overly excited to see Harry, going on and on about his parents, and how he, Hagrid, had been the one to take him to the Dursley’s-under Dumbledore’s orders, of course. Harry fought back a scowl; this was one of the people responsible for him living with the Dursley’s, and he was bragging about it! The large man was enthusiastic-and also very, very drunk, and Harry found himself incredibly grateful that Severus had been the one to rescue him from the Dursley’s. When Hagrid started talking about Dark families and stuck up Purebloods, Severus announced that it was time to go.

“He means well,” Severus said quietly as they made their way to a back room where a fireplace was lit, despite the July heat, “However he believes everything the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, tells him, and he can be rather…vocal about his opinions. In addition to that, he tends to drink a bit more than he should, so you can see why I insisted on being the one to inform you of your heritage.”

“Is he-is he always like that?” Harry asked just as quietly, “I mean, he was nice to me, but…he didn’t seem to like Draco and his parents much. He told me to watch out for poisonous snakes, and he was looking right at Draco when he said it.” Harry and Severus had relative privacy for this conversation, as Lucius and Narcissa had seen an acquaintance and excused themselves-and Draco-for a moment.

“He, like many others, looks down upon those who were sorted into Slytherin at school,” Severus explained, “Did Draco tell you about the Houses?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded, “He said Ravenclaw is for people who’d rather read about life than experience it, Gryffindor is for people who can’t tell the difference between bravery and stupidity, Hufflepuff is for hard workers who don’t fit in anywhere else, and Slytherin is for cunning, ambitious people who always know how to get what they want.”

“Well, I cannot truly argue with any of those statements,” Severus said wryly, shooting an amused glance at Draco, who met his gaze with an innocent smile, “Although I will say that those descriptions are from a Slytherin view point, and therefore a bit biased. Read Hogwarts, A History for a non-biased description of the Houses. Ah, Lucius, are we ready to go?” Harry jumped slightly, having not seen the Malfoy’s rejoin them.

“Yes,” Lucius nodded, “Have you explained Floo travel to Harry yet?”

“No,” Severus replied, “I intended to take him through with me this first time.” Lucius nodded and then walked up to the fireplace; he picked up a small black pot and held it out for Narcissa. “Just watch them, Harry,” Severus said, “We will let the Malfoy’s go first, and then you and I will go.”

Harry nodded and watched as Narcissa picked up a small handful of green powder and tossed it into the fireplace, causing the flames to turn green. When Narcissa stepped directly into the fire Harry couldn’t help but gasp and grab onto Severus’ arm, but his friend’s mom didn’t catch fire. Instead, she stood tall and said, in a very clear voice, “Malfoy Manor.” With a soft Whoosh! The fire flared up and Narcissa disappeared in a swirl of flames. Harry watched in awe as the process was repeated by Draco and Lucius, then Severus informed him that it was their turn.

“Take a handful,” Severus instructed as he held out the pot of powder, and Harry obeyed, looking up at his guardian trustingly, “Now toss it into the fire, and take my hand.” Harry did as he was told and, once the flames turned green, Severus pulled him into the fire, instructing him, “Call out our destination, and be sure to speak loudly and clearly.”

“Malfoy Manor,” Harry said carefully, then gasped as the flames flared around him, and he found himself in the middle of what felt like a windstorm as the flames swept them away. After just a few moments the wind stopped, and Harry tumbled out of the fireplace, thankful that Severus’ grip prevented him from falling face-first on the floor.

“Graceful, Harry,” Draco snickered, and Harry stuck his tongue out at his friend, who had apparently been waiting for him, “Come on; Mother already had the house elves fix a room for you next to me. Uncle Sev, you have the same rooms as before, at the other end of the wing.” He didn’t wait for a response, but grabbed Harry by the hand and began leading him to the staircase; Harry hung back a bit and looked over his shoulder, then smiled when Severus nodded at him to go along; “Mother said you need a shower, then tea before Severus tells you about your Inheritance. I already got mine, and I’ll show you my markings later.” Harry was amused to find that Draco was still talking, and hadn’t seemed to notice when Harry had stopped to get permission from Severus.

“Markings?” Harry questioned, and Draco nodded as they climbed the stairs and then turned left down a hallway lined with paintings of fantasy landscapes and mythical creatures.

“Everyone who comes into an Inheritance has markings of some kind,” Draco explained, “The markings tell different things about you, but I haven’t learned all about them yet. Those are my rooms over there,” Draco pointed to a door on their right, then led Harry to the room across the hall, “And these are your rooms.” He opened the door and Harry couldn’t hold back a gasp as he saw where he was to be staying.

Immediately through the door was a sitting area, with a fireplace, a couch two chairs and a small table, as well as a desk in the corner and a long bookcase against one wall. The room was decorated in dark blues and greens, with silver accents. He followed Draco through a set of French doors into the bedroom, which contained a large four poster bed, two chairs, two dressers and a bedside table. There was a window seat set into one wall, and the colors were the same as the siting room. Two more doors led to a walk in closet, where all of his purchases from Madam Malkin’s had already been put away, and a large bathroom with silver fixtures and a continuation of the blue and green theme.

“Toss your clothes into the hamper,” Draco instructed as he walked into the closet; he returned moments later with a dark green bathrobe, “and wear this.”

“Why?” Harry asked, “I mean, isn’t a bathrobe for after you take a bath? Why take my clothes off just to put that on, and then take it off again when I get in the shower?”

“You wear the robe while you are getting the shower ready,” Draco replied, “It’s just how things are done. Hurry up, Harry.” Harry frowned at the command but did as Draco said, first taking off his shoes and socks. He fumbled as he unbuttoned his shirt, scowling as he recalled Severus saying he would be dressing like that more often, but finally got the last button undone and tossed it into the hamper, only remembering his bruises when Draco gasped behind him.

“Who did that to you?” Harry spun around with wild eyes, to find Draco staring at the bruises marring his torso.

“It was-it’s not important,” Harry replied nervously, crossing his arms to try and hide the bruises, “Severus said he’ll give me a potion to fix it, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“I disagree,” Draco said with narrowed eyes, “Finish getting undressed, everything but your pants, and then put the robe on; I’m going to see Severus about those potions. If you argue with me, I will be very mad and I won’t talk to you for a week!” Draco threatened, and Harry snapped his mouth closed, having indeed intended to protest. “I’ll be right back.” Draco left the room, and Harry quickly finished slipping off his clothes before donning the green silk robe. He tied it securely in front, and then wandered over to the window seat to wait for Draco and Severus.

It was strange, Harry thought as he looked out at the garden below, he’d never even had one person who cared about him before, and now he had at least two; Lucius and Narcissa’s faces flashed through his mind, and he acknowledged that he had more than two people to look out for him. Mrs. Figg had seemed to care about him, at least a little, but all she ever did was give him stale cake and talk to him about her cats; she never once stepped in when Vernon was beating him, or when Dudley and his gang were chasing him. Harry couldn’t help but wonder though, how long it would last…

“Why did you not remind me about the potions?” Severus’ voice drew Harry out of his thoughts, and he saw his guardian frowning at him, a scowling Draco at his side, “I would have given them to you over lunch if you had reminded me. Come here.” Harry stood up and walked over to Severus, stopping a few feet in front of him.

“I forgot,” Harry said honestly, “They don’t really bother me unless I do something wrong; if I get in trouble then they start to hurt.”

“I see,” Severus’ frown deepened, “Let me look at the bruises.” Harry flushed as he undid the robe, embarrassed to have someone looking at him like that; he’d never even been to the doctor, so to have someone examining his injuries was an uncomfortable experience. He gasped in pain and shied away when Severus pressed a hand to his side; Dudley had kicked him in that exact spot just last week, and he hadn’t been able to move for nearly an hour.

“You have a fractured rib,” Severus murmured, “Tell me, Harry, does anything hurt when you move? Your chest, or you back?” Harry thought about it for a moment and then shook his head.

“I-my side does hurt sometimes,” he admitted, “but not very often. It wasn’t bothering me today, honest. But…everything kind of hurts now; it’s a warning for me not to talk about what happened.”

“I want to know who did this,” Draco demanded, “Tell me, Harry.” Harry looked into his friends narrowed eyes and sighed.

“It was mostly my cousin,” Harry said as Severus drew his wand and began casting spells at him; Harry couldn’t feel anything, so he figured the spells were to tell Severus what was wrong with him. It stopped hurting him to talk about it too, so Severus must have done something to help with that, he mused as he continued the explanations, “He’s a lot bigger than me, and he liked to beat me up. Any time he caught me, he would have his friends hold me while he beat me. A few days ago he kicked me in the side because I tripped over his game cords, and that’s probably how my rib got fractured.”

“Was your cousin, Dudley, the only one who hit you?” Severus asked, putting his wand away and reaching into a black bag that Harry hadn’t notice before.

“N-no,” Harry said, “Some-some of it was my uncle. When I didn’t do my chores right or when freaky things happened he would beat me. He used a belt most of the time, but sometimes he would get really angry and knock me around. He-a few days after Dudley kicked me in the ribs, Vernon hit me in the same place, which made them hurt longer.”

“When and how did you bust your head, Harry?” Severus inquired. Harry blinked in surprise for a moment; how did Severus know about that? It had already healed a while ago!

“It was two years ago,” Harry replied, “I was running from Dudley’s gang and somehow ended up on top of the school. When I got home Vernon beat me for being a freak, then he threw me into my cupboard, and I hit my head on one of the shelves. I didn’t wake up for three days.”

“He threw you into your cupboard?”

“Yes,” Harry sighed, resigned to the fact that he would have to talk about the Dursley’s, at least this once, “Ever since I can remember, my bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs. I slept on a cot, and any time I got in trouble my aunt and uncle would lock me in there without food for a day or so. I did all the cleaning and most of the cooking from the time I was five, and I got punished anytime something bad or freaky happened. I wasn’t allowed to have friends, I got in trouble if I didn’t do well in school, but I got into more trouble if I did better than Dudley. I usually only ate once a day, and they only let me out of the house to go to school, and that only because a neighbor saw me and gave my aunt no choice. Vernon’s sister, Marge, would let her dog chase me up a tree, and I was always called ‘freak’ or ‘boy’. I didn’t know my name or birthday until I started school, and you remember my aunt and uncle never told me anything about my parents; I was also punished for asking questions.” Harry fell silent and looked down at his hands to avoid making eye contact with anyone.

“We will discuss this in further detail at a later time,” Severus said when it became apparent Harry was finished talking, “What your relative’s did was child abuse, and I will make sure they are held responsible for their actions. For now, however, you need to take these three potions, and then you have time for a quick shower before tea. The first potion is to get rid of the potion that hides your injuries, the second will heal your bruises, and the third will heal your other injuries.” Severus handed Harry the three potions one by one and nodded in satisfaction when Harry drank them without complaint, except for the nasty face he made when he was done. “Draco will help you choose your clothes for this evening,” Severus said once Harry drank the last potion, “and he will show you to the dining room for tea. If you need anything, my house elf Misty can be summoned to assist you. Don’t dally.” Severus waited for Harry’s mumbled agreement, then swept out of the room, ropes snapping behind him.

“How does he do that?” Harry asked in awe.

“Very carefully,” Draco replied, “Now go take your shower; I’m going to change and then I’ll meet you back in here. Wait for me before you get dressed, okay?”

“Okay,” Harry rolled his eyes; he watched Draco leave and then headed back into the bathroom to take his shower.


	5. Inheritance

After tea Narcissa announced that they would all retire to the family parlor, and Draco had immediately grabbed Harry by the wrist to lead the way. The room he brought Harry to was about the size of the Dursley’s living room, but it was much more comfortable looking. The walls were all painted a deep green with a grey baroque design, the floors were a dark oak, and two loveseats and two armchairs upholstered in soft grey fabric sat on top of a large oriental rug in green, black and silver. A stone fireplace took up the wall to one side of the seating area, bookcases covered two walls, and the wall which contained the door had a large portrait of the Malfoy family. All-in-all, the room was very cozy, and Harry felt comfortable here at once.

“We’ll sit here, Harry,” Draco said, pulling Harry over to an over-sized armchair that was big enough to seat them both comfortably. Narcissa and Lucius took the nearby loveseat and Severus the other armchair.

“Cissa, perhaps you would like to begin,” Severus suggested, “You tell the story much better that I ever could.”

“Of course, Severus,” Narcissa readily agreed, “Harry, have you ever heard of Terre D’Ange?”

“No, ma’am,” Harry shook his head.

“Then I shall start at the beginning,” Narcissa smiled, “First, you must understand that there are many different worlds out there, and this is only one of them; it is possible to traverse the different worlds, but it is also very difficult, and very dangerous. Terre D’Ange is the name of a land in another world which lies close to our own, and it has many similarities, as well as many differences. To understand our history, and your Inheritance, first you must learn the history of Terre D’Ange.

“A long time ago, in a place called Tiberium, Yeshua ben Yosef, the son of the One God, was borne by Mary, wife of Yosef. After living a good life and telling many people about his Father, Yeshua was betrayed and killed. During his life Yeshua was loved by many, and one of those who cared deeply for him was a woman now known simply as the Magdalene. The Magdalene wept over the body of Yeshua ben Yosef, and her tears mingled with Yeshua’s blood in the womb of Mother Earth; from this co-mingling came Blessed Elua, most cherished of angels and Earths most precious son.”

Harry listened in rapt fascination as Narcissa explained how Elua had left Tiberium after being shunned by both the Yeshuites-those who followed the teaching of Yeshua-and the empire of Tiberium, and wandered across numerous lands looking for a place to call home. Elua was reviled and rejected everywhere he went, but still he continued on, singing and walking barefoot through the lands, and flowers grew in his footsteps.

She told about Elua being captured by a foreign king and how nine of the One God’s angels flouted His will to come down to earth and help Elua, for by now tales of Elua’s wanderings had reached Heaven. Narcissa said that Naamah, called eldest sister, offered herself to the foreign king in exchange for Elua’s freedom. The king accepted, but then betrayed Elua by drugging the drinks of Elua and his companions with valerian and then put them on a boat with no sails and set them adrift in the ocean. When he awoke, however, Elua sang and the creatures of the deep came to his aide, bringing the boat ashore.

Elua and his companions wandered through many lands, some friendly and others hostile, but nowhere did they find a place willing to accept them; when they ran out of food Naamah lay down with strangers for coin.

“Then, they came to Terre D’Ange,” Narcissa said, “Though at the time of their arrival, the land was not yet named. Terre D’Ange was a land populated by shepherds and farmers, and the people there welcomed Elua and his companions with open arms. For three hundred years Elua and his companions-Naamah, Anael, Azza, Shemhazai, Camael, Cassiel, Merlin, Eisheth and Kushiel-dwelled in Terre D’Ange, and followed the precept set by Blessed Elua-Love as thou wilt.

Terre D’Ange became a land populated by the descendants of angels, and the world began to know of D’Angeline beauty for, in that world, the D’Angeline’s were always the fairest to look upon. Out of all of Elua’s companions, only Cassiel held to the commandment of the One God and abjured mortal love, but his heart was moved by Elua and he stayed by the side of the One God's forgotten grandson like a brother.”

Narcissa went on to tell how the One God was finally drawn out of his mourning by the songs of the D’Angeline’s which could be heard even in Heaven, and he turned his attention to Terre D’Ange and Elua. He sent his commander-in-chief to fetch Elua and his companions who had fled Heaven to follow him, so that Elua may stand before the throne; Elua gave him the kiss of peace and filled his glass with sweet wines and the leader of God's host returned ashamed and empty-handed.

Then, after much thought, the One God sent his arch-herald to speak to Elua, and the herald told him; "Do you stay here and love as you wilt, thy offspring shall overrun the earth, and this cannot happen. Come now in peace to the right hand of your God and Lord, and all is forgiven."

And Blessed Elua smiled at the herald and then turned to Cassiel and held out his hand to borrow his knife; taking it, he drew the point across the palm of his hand and bright blood welled up and fell in fat drops to the earth and anemones bloomed. "My grandfather's Heaven is bloodless," he replied, "and I am not. Let him offer a better place, where we may love and sing and grow as we are wont, where our children and our children's children may join us, and I will go."

The One God replied that there was no such place, and then something happened that had not happened in many years and has not happened since; our mother Earth spoke to her once-husband and said, "We may create it, you and I."

And thus the true Terre D'Ange that lies beyond mortal perception, whose gate we may enter only after passing through the dark gate that leads out of this world. And so Blessed Elua and those who followed him did leave that world, passing not through the dark gate, but directly through the bright one, into the greater land that lies beyond. But that land he loved first, and so we call it after that one, and revere him and his memory, in pride and love.1

“Thus is the story of Blessed Elua and how Terre d'Ange came to be,” Narcissa paused, “Do you have any questions so far, Harry?”

“No, ma’am,” Harry replied, “Well, yes; is this story real? I mean, is it really true?”

“Of course it’s true!” Draco looked at him aghast, “Do you think Mother would lie to you?”

“Calm down, Draco,” Lucius drawled before Harry could respond, “This tale can sound a little far-fetched to someone who grew up in the Muggle world; as you know, many Purebloods no longer believe in Terre D’Ange or Elua because they no longer have that magic in their blood.”

“To answer your question, Harry, everything I have told you so far is true,” Narcissa smiled gently, “Are you ready for me to continue?” Harry nodded, and Narcissa picked up her story, “Now, one of Elua’s companions was Merlin, who held an insatiable curiosity for anything new or different; Merlin had long-ago opened a path between Terre D’Ange and our world, and frequently travelled it with his daughter, Morgana. When Elua and his companions left for the true Terre D’Ange that lies beyond, Merlin failed to close the path, and many of the angels descendants found their way into our world; some of them stayed and married the people of our world, which means that many Witches and Wizards have the blood of angels running in their veins, and they go through an Inheritance which begins on their eleventh birthday. Those of us who gain an Inheritance are welcomed into Terre D’Ange for a month or so every summer to learn about our history, and to learn about the powers that make us different from other Witches and Wizards.”

“Your father, Harry, had an Inheritance,” Severus took over, “and so did your mother, even though she was a Muggleborn. It is likely that she was a descendant of one of the other angels who crossed into our world; there are many of them among the Muggles, but most never receive an Inheritance because they lack the magic necessary.”

“What _is_ an Inheritance?” Harry asked, wondering if someone would ever explain it to him clearly.

“Your Inheritance is merely an increase in your magic,” Severus replied, “Sometime today you will receive an increase in magic which will render you unconscious, and you will receive your marque.” Severus rolled up his sleeves to reveal a black vine tattoo which covered his arms. “Each marque is unique, although family members will often have similar designs, and tells something about who you are and where your true power lies.”

“Marques also serve to help you recognize your soulmate, should you have one,” Narcissa added, “And it is considered unseemly to show off your marque to anyone else once you have bonded, unless your bond mate is with you.”

“Your marque will appear on your eleventh birthday,” Lucius picked up the explanation, “but it will fade within twenty-four hours, and slowly darken as you master your magic. If you have a soulmate, your marque will only be complete after you have bonded.”

“You can see mine,” Draco pushed his sleeve back, and Harry saw a very faint design; it was serpentine, either a dragon or a snake of some sort with thorny vines. “It faded after my birthday, but it should get a little darker every year.”

“Cool,” Harry smiled, he reached out to touch it, then hesitated.

“It’s okay,” Draco assured him, “You can touch it; it won’t hurt me.” Harry gently ran his fingers over the design on Draco’s wrist, then withdrew his hand and smiled at his friend, before turning his attention back to Severus.

“I’ll get one of those today?”

“Yes,” Severus confirmed, “In less than an hour, actually. It can be slightly painful, so you should go up to your room and lie down.”

“I’ll stay with him,” Draco offered, “Come on Harry; let’s go get ready for your inheritance.” Draco slid down from the chair, pulling Harry with him, and only just remembered to ask permission. “Mother, Father; may we be excused?”

“Go ahead,” Lucius said, smiling indulgently at his son, “Just call Dobby if there are any problems and we will be right up.”

“I’ll be up in a few minutes regardless,” Severus added. Draco just nodded and proceeded to pull Harry out of the room.

When they got up to the bedroom Harry had been assigned, Draco quickly directed his friend to strip down to a pair of boxers and lay down on the bed.

“Why am I taking my clothes off?” Harry asked, “I thought the marque would just be on my arms.”

“Sometimes people get marques on their chest or back too,” Draco explained, sitting at the foot of the bed, “Girls get marques on their back, and sometimes boys do too.”

“Submissive Wizards have a marque on their back,” Severus corrected as he entered the room, “That is, males who are capable of carrying children when they are older. How do you feel, Harry?”

“I’m okay,” Harry replied, averting his gaze when Severus pinned him with a penetrating stare; “I mean, I-it feels hot all of a sudden, but nothing hurts.” Severus nodded his acceptance of that and took a seat by the bed.

“Then you should go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” Severus suggested, and Harry climbed on the bed, taking his glasses off before settling back against the pillows. “Do you have any questions before your Inheritance begins? Draco, why are you on the bed?” Draco’s reply was drowned out by an earsplitting scream, and both sets of eyes were drawn to Harry’s small form as he writhed on the bed.

Severus was quick to grab Draco by the arm and pull him off the bed, just as Harry’s magic burst out of him; Severus picked Draco up-even though the eleven year old was far too big for that-and turned so that he was shielding his godson with his body. It was very rare for the initial Inheritance to be so strong, and Severus had a moment to regret allowing Draco to stay in the room before the magic hit them; Severus closed his eyes and waited for the pain-then frowned when he realized that there was no pain. Severus opened his eyes and saw that they were surrounded by a dark golden glow but, instead of pain, all he felt was a soft warmth.

“Uncle Sev!” Draco scowled, “Put me down! I need to check on Harry!” Severus loosened his hold and allowed Draco to drop to the floor, but kept a tight grip on his hand as they turned back to the bed.

“Careful, Draco,” he warned the young blond, “The power coming off of him is much stronger than that of most eleven year olds; I don’t want you to get hurt.” Draco gave him a scathing look and pulled his hand free.

“Harry would never hurt me,” he retorted, stomping back over to the bed, “I felt his magic; it was warm and…and safe. He would never hurt either of us, I know it.” Severus shook his head, but didn’t move to stop Draco as he climbed back on the bed next to Harry and took the other boys hand in his own; it was true the magic hadn’t hurt them, and the most dangerous time was at the beginning of an Inheritance, which is why he had wanted Draco to get off the bed in the first place. Still, that initial burst of power was unsettling; perhaps he would be a Dominant, like Draco? Most D’Angeline’s had higher level of magical power than other witches and wizards, but Dominants were rare in today’s world, although not as rare as-

“Uncle Sev?” Draco’s voice brought him back out of his thoughts, “Look at Harry.” Severus stepped closer to the bed, and frowned as he looked at the brunet lying on top of the covers. Harry’s body was arching and writhing on the bed, but he made not a sound, even though his face was pinched with pain. “Why doesn’t he cry? He’s hurting, so he should cry, right?” Aside from that first scream, Harry hadn’t made any noise, even though he had to be in pain.

“I think it may have to do with the way he was raised,” Severus replied, “I will have to make a trip to visit those Muggles sooner than I had planned, so that I can find out exactly how much damage they did to him.” As he looked down at his new charge, Severus thought it strange that Harry kept arching away from the bed, as if his back was hurting; when Draco had his Inheritance, it was his arms that hurt him, but Harry only had a thin snake design that wound around his wrists, leaving the rest of his arms bare. Could that mean-?

“Draco, we need to turn him over,” he said calmly; he touched Harry’s shoulder and drew his hand back in shock as he felt a flare of heat. Looking down at his hand, he saw that it was red, as if he had held it under hot water for too long. “Draco, does it not hurt you to hold his hand? When I touched him it burned me.”

“It doesn’t hurt me,” Draco replied, frowning worriedly at his uncle, “Are you okay?”

“I am,” Severus assured him, “It was not a bad burn, but that means you will need to turn him over by yourself.” Draco nodded and let go of Harry’s hand so that he could turn the brunet over. As he tried to arrange the boy’s limbs more comfortably, he caught sight of his back and gasped.

“Sev!”

“I see it, Draco,” Severus said softly. The two stared down at Harry, captivated by the dozens of dark lines that appeared on his back, creating an image running the length of his spine; each line only appeared for an instant and then vanished, never actually completing the picture, but Severus was able to discern its shape. “It will be a dragon. Draco don’t-” Severus sighed as Draco once again disregarded him; the blond looked up at him with flashing grey eyes and smirked as he gently trailed his fingers over the area where Harry’s Marque would be.

“I told you he doesn’t hurt me,” Draco drawled, shifting so that his free hand could card through Harry’s dark locks. He sent his godfather a satisfied smirk, then turned all of his attention to the boy next to him.

Harry had a Marque on his back, Draco thought as he traced over the red skin that tingled with magic. The Marque meant Harry was a submissive, and he would have a dominant mate. Harry’s Marque was a dragon, and Draco’s name meant dragon; that meant that Harry was Draco’s. Okay, yes, so the dragon _could_ have been for someone else, but if that was the case why could he touch Harry when Severus wasn’t able to? No, Harry was Draco’s, there was no question about that. Draco’s eyes narrowed as they landed on a faint bruise that the potion earlier hadn’t healed completely; now that Harry was his, Draco would make sure no one ever hurt the brunet again. Also, he wasn’t old enough yet, but when he grew up he would make those Muggles pay for their treatment of his mate.

As these thoughts ran through his head, Draco noticed that the power in the room was fading. No, not fading; it was being drawn back into Harry’s body. Uncle Sev said Harry had a lot more power than normal for his age, but Draco’s own Inheritance had also been slightly above normal; Draco was told he would get more power on his sixteenth birthday, but as a submissive Harry needed his power now because he would be more vulnerable until Draco came into the rest of his power.

After several more minutes the extra power stopped swirling around the room, and Draco gave his godfather a strange look as the man visibly-although only to those who knew him-relaxed.

“Could you not feel the magic in the air?” Severus questioned; if Draco hadn’t felt that much power it could be a problem.

“Of course I could,” Draco replied, shrugging as the door opened to reveal his parents, “It’s not like it bothered me though. Nothing Harry does can hurt me, how many times do I have to tell you that?”

“How do you know that Harry won’t hurt you?” Lucius asked mildly, “And why, Severus, is my son in here if you were so concerned for his safety?”

“Harry gained more power than any of us could have expected,” Severus replied, gesturing for his oldest friend to take a look at the boy on the bed, “His power filled the room and I did, originally, fear for Draco’s safety, but Harry’s power did not hurt us.” He glanced down at his still-red hand and frowned, “At least, it didn’t hurt me until I tried to touch him, and it didn’t hurt Draco even as he sat on the bed holding his hand.”

“That is because my mate could never hurt me,” Draco just barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes.

“Mate?” Narcissa questioned, coming to stand beside her son; she cupped his chin so he would look at her, then heard her husband gasp. She looked up at him, then followed his gaze to the brunet lying on the bed and let out a gasp of her own as she saw a pale Marque on his back; the design was very faint and still fading before their eyes, but it was unmistakably a dragon.

“So, the boy is a submissive, and possibly Draco’s mate,” Lucius mused, after trying to touch Harry, only to have his hand burnt; Severus shook his head and grabbed Lucius’ wrist as he drew his wand to cast a healing charm. Lucius actually had a few blisters, which meant Harry’s magic reacted more strongly against the blond. After healing Lucius, Severus cast a quick healing charm on his own hand. “I have a feeling people will not be pleased to learn that their Savior is destined to be part of the Malfoy family.”

“They can’t do anything,” Draco scowled, tightening his grip on Harry’s hand, “He’s mine and no one can take him from me.”

“I can,” Severus arched his brow, “I am, after all, his guardian, and I can keep you from Harry if I feel you are a bad influence on him.”

“Yes, but only temporarily,” Draco said unconcernedly, not even bothering to look up at his godfather, “You wouldn’t try to keep him from me forever, because that would hurt him too.” Severus scowled at his godson, the look only darkening when he realized said godson wasn’t even paying attention to him. He fingered his wand, debating whether it would be worth the lecture he would get from Narcissa if he sent a stinging hex at his godson.

“Severus, don’t you have to go to the staff meeting?” Narcissa reminded him, “Dumbledore will surely be wondering what happened on your shopping trip today.”

“Yes,” Severus nodded, reluctantly releasing his grip on his wand, “However, perhaps I should just send Albus an owl and-”

“Harry won’t awaken for a few hours at least,” Lucius interrupted, “and you know Dumbledore will accept nothing less than a report in person. Go; if anything happens we will send a house elf for you.”

“Lucius is right,” Narcissa agreed, “Come; we will escort you to the floo. Draco, darling; send an elf immediately when Harry awakens.”

“Yes, Mother,” Draco said obediently. Once the adults had left, he stretched out beside Harry, eyes locked on the younger boys face. He smiled when Harry rolled onto his side, facing Draco and still holding his hand.

“You’re mine, Harry,” Draco whispered, sliding closer to his mate, “All mine.” He slid one hand around Harry’s waist and smiled when the brunet snuggled up to him. Funny, how he had only just met Harry and already he couldn’t stand the thought of them being apart; he would really have to look up the information on D’Angeline mates to see what to expect…but later. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy some alone time with his mate.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1)Taken from the book Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey; most is paraphrased, but some is verbatim from the telling of the Eluine Cycle.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! Just a heads up, the next chapter may take a little longer to post; I've almost posted all my pre-written chapters, and I want to try and get another one or two written before I post another update.


	6. After the Inheritance

Severus arrived at Hogwarts with a scowl on his face and his dark eyes narrowed so as to dissuade anyone foolish enough to approach him for the purpose of making small talk. This was nothing new; what was new, however, were the thoughts running through his mind. Ever a Slytherin, Severus had catalogued everything he had seen and heard since he arrived at that pitiful shack on a rock and filed the information away until he had time to analyze it. It was as Severus was leaving Malfoy Manor that he thought back to the bruises on Harry; recalling the fact that they had been hidden by magical means; how had Potter-Harry-been given a glamour potion? It certainly hadn't come from the Muggles, at least not with their knowledge, and the only magical person near the boy was Arabella Figg.

Being a Squib, Arabella would have trouble getting the potion on her own, which meant someone gave it to her to pass on to Harry. Until recently, Albus has only trusted two people, aside from Arabella, with Harry's location. Hagrid didn't have the money to buy such an expensive potion, and Minerva would never do something to harm a child.

This left just one option, but why would Albus give Harry a glamour potion? Glamour potions were not meant to be used on anyone not of age, as their magic was not yet mature enough to handle the slight magical drain caused by the potion. In addition, using the potion on someone who was injured would cause the injuries to heal slower. Harry also said the injuries hurt if he misbehaved or tried to tell anyone about them, so a spell had to have been added to potion. Severus made a mental note to visit Arabella at the first opportunity to see if she had any of the potion left; he would have to examine it to see what spell had been used.

In addition to the potion, Severus recalled Griphook mentioning that money had been going to an account for the Order of the Phoenix, which was Dumbledore's organization; he would look at the records to see if James or Lily ever authorized payments. If not, that would mean Albus had been stealing from Harry, and it would be Severus' responsibility to get the money back, something Albus would not be pleased about.

By the time he had walked up the road from Hogsmeade, Severus had come to a decision; he would address the matter of Harry being abused, but not mention the potion. He would also keep his custody a secret for now- Harry's Inheritance would be enough to explain why the boy was not sent back to the Muggles. By hiding the fact that he was Harry's new guardian, Severus would give Lucius enough time to call for a trial to clear Severus of the crimes he committed during the war; Albus had convinced Severus to forgo a trial at the time, saying his-Albus'-word was enough to clear him in the eyes of the Wizarding World and that a trial would just cause undue stress.

It had seemed to be a good decision at the time, but now it could give Albus the means to get Severus' custody of Harry revoked, which meant an actual trial would be necessary. Luckily for Severus, his crimes were few and did not include murder; the Dark Lord was more interested in his brewing skills than his spell work. With Lucius on his side a trial should not take long at all; Severus' name would be cleared by the time Albus discovered he was in charge of Harry, and the headmaster would have no legal means of taking the boy from him. Of course, it was possible Albus wouldn't try to dispute his custody, however Severus would be a poor excuse for a Slytherin indeed if he did not prepare for all eventualities.

"There you are, Severus," Severus' musings had occupied him all the way to the entrance doors, where Minerva McGonagall was waiting for him , "Did everything go well with Mr. Potter?"

"As well as can be expected when dealing with ignorant Muggles," Severus replied, arching an eyebrow as he mildly added, "Although the uncle actually tried to pull a gun on me, which was a new experience, and one I would not care to repeat."

"I told Albus the Dursley's were the worst sort of Muggles," Minerva frowned, "but he insisted Mr. Potter would be safest there." She shook her head at the foolishness of it, and Severus decided to share some information with his fellow professor; it would help to have her on his side once his guardianship of Harry came out.

"Yes, numerous bruises on the boy prove that he was obviously well cared for," Severus sneered as they wanted through the corridors of the school, "as do the torn, oversized hand me down rags he wore, and the signs of malnutrition. The boy knew nothing of magic, and he thought his parents died in a car crash. It is obvious Petunia cared for her nephew." Severus’ voice was dripping with sarcasm, and he was pleased when Minerva gasped, her eyes flashing dangerously as she put a hand on Severus' shoulder to make him stop and look at her.

"Are you telling me that those Muggles led Harry to believe James and Lily Potter died in a car accident, and never told him about... about that night? About what his parents did-what he did?"

"That is correct," Severus confirmed; they were now standing outside the gargoyle which guarded the headmaster’s office, and Severus noticed that the way was open; "The Headmaster wishes to speak to me before the meeting?"

"Yes," Minerva said, sending a glare towards the office, "and please inform Albus that I will be speaking to him after the meeting." Severus hid a smirk as he watched Minerva stalk away; why, in her anger she had even managed to get her robes to snap nearly as perfectly as his own. Severus stored that amusing thought away for later, and made sure he showed nothing but irritation as he ascended the staircase to where he knew Albus was waiting; Albus no doubt wanted to question Severus, but Severus intended to get a few answers of his own.

“Ah, Severus my boy!” Albus greeted him cheerfully, blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles, “Come in, come in! Have a seat; I already took the liberty of fixing you a cup of tea. Lemon Drop?”

“No, thank you,” Severus sat in the proffered chair and picked up the tea, but made no move to drink it, “Do we really have time for this, Albus? The meeting is set to start soon.”

“There’s plenty of time,” Albus waved away his concerns, “If need be, Minerva can start the meeting without us. Now, how did things go today? Did you get young Harry prepared for school this fall?”

“Of course,” Severus sneered; how dare Albus question his competence? “I picked the boy up and we spent the day in Diagon Alley collecting his school things. Nothing out of the ordinary happened on our shopping excursion; we visited Gringott’s first-” Severus saw that Albus’ gaze sharpened at this point, but pretended not to notice-“where Potter, of course, thought that the safest way to ride in a cart was to hang over the edge.” Severus didn’t have to force a scowl here as he quite vividly recalled the anger-and fear-he had felt when seeing the small boy leaning over the edge of the cart.

“You can’t blame him, Severus,” Albus smiled, “After all, that was his first trip to Gringott’s that he could remember; he obviously has James’ sense of adventure. So, there were no problems?”

“Not once we left the Muggles behind,” Severus replied, “Potter was surprisingly well-behaved, however his relatives…Albus, have you ever spoken to Potter’s Muggle relatives?” Severus pretended to take a sip of tea, but was actually closely monitoring Albus’ behavior and facial expressions; this was the moment when he would be able to determine how responsible Albus was for Harry’s circumstances.

“Why, no,” Albus blinked, surprised by the question, “I would never intrude upon their family in such a way.”

“What was Petunia’s reaction when she learned that Potter was her responsibility?”

“I’m not certain,” Albus replied, “Arabella did not move into the neighborhood until a few months later.”

“You did not speak to her when you dropped Harry off?” Severus pressed, “Or did Hagrid give the boy to her?”

“It was quite late at night, Severus,” Albus said chidingly, “And Petunia had her own toddler already; it would have been very rude of me to wake up the entire family just to give them bad news.” Albus shook his head, “No, much better to let everyone get their rest in. I left Harry on the doorstep with a letter to explain the situation.” Albus left an infant outside on a doorstep overnight? And in October, no less! What had the man been thinking? Severus must not have been hiding his expression well enough, because Albus was frowning at him now. “Come now, Severus; I did what was best for everyone involved. It was already after midnight; I knew Harry would be fine for a few hours until his relatives awoke. And while taking Harry in might have been an inconvenience, I’m certain Petunia understood the necessity. I can’t imagine she would have wanted Harry to be raised by anyone else; after all, even if she and Lily were estranged, family is family.”

Severus was shocked by how closely Albus’ words reflected the Pureblood philosophy of “Family First”, especially after the headmaster had spent the last twenty years or so refuting all Pureblood ideals. It only took him a second to gather his thoughts, and form a response to Albus’ reasoning.

“Yes, well Potter’s _family_ ,” Severus made sure to lace the word with a heavy dose of sarcasm, “Detests anything to do with magic. They refer to Potter as ‘freak’ and I found visible proof that the boy has been abused. In addition, a health scan would likely show that Potter is malnourished. Were you aware that Potter’s original letter was addressed to ‘The Cupboard Under the Stairs’?” Severus had heard Harry mention that to Draco. “The one I delivered to him was addressed to ‘The Floor’, and the Muggles tried to prevent him from even receiving the letters at all.”

“Now Severus, you know that the address simply reflects where the student slept the previous evening,” Albus’ voice was gently chiding, “Perhaps Harry decided to hide in the closet. As for the abuse…are you certain he wasn’t fighting with his cousin? After all, you know firsthand how temperamental Potter’s can be.” Severus was disgusted at Albus for throwing James in his face, but it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise; obviously the headmaster was hoping to halt Severus’ defense of Harry by reminding him of the way the boy’s father had bullied him in school. Well, Albus’ tactics would not work on him; the day a Gryffindor could out-Slytherin a Slytherin would be the day Severus showed up to teach wearing bunny slippers and gave all his students Zonko's gift bags.

“Some of those bruises were not caused by a child,” Severus informed him with narrowed eyes.

“Well, perhaps his uncle was a little over zealous with young Harry’s punishment,” Albus said reasonably, “I’m certain that it won’t happen again.” He chose another candy, then held the dish out to Severus. “Are you sure you won’t have one? They’re nothing like those disgusting Bertie Bott’s Beans.”

“Well, since the Muggles said that Potter is no longer welcome in their home, I suppose that his treatment at their hands is no longer an issue,” Severus shrugged, ignoring the proffered candy; he was pleased when that comment finally got a reaction out of the headmaster.

“You did not return Harry to his aunt and uncle?” Albus looked alarmed, “He must be protected! Where is he, Severus?”

“He is safe,” Severus replied with an arched eyebrow, “Potter received the first part of his Inheritance and will be spending the rest of the summer with others who have recently come into their Inheritance.”

“Are you certain he received an Inheritance?” Albus frowned, “I had thought, since Lily was a Muggleborn, that he would not receive an Inheritance.”

“He is a Potter,” Severus reminded the headmaster, “All Potter’s have received an Inheritance, and nothing short of a curse or potion could ever interfere with that; in fact, I believe that it would take a combination of a very strong curse and a potion to prevent a child in any of the older families from receiving their Inheritance. In addition, Lily was one of the rare Muggleborns who received an Inheritance; of course Potter would have one.” Albus was frowning at this point, although he was quick to mask it behind concern. Why, Severus wondered, was Albus more concerned about Harry receiving an Inheritance than he was about the abuse the boy had suffered?

As he waited for the headmaster to speak again, Severus recalled thinking that there had to be a spell on the potion Harry had been given; a glamour potion combined with a curse to call back past pain could definitely interfere with an Inheritance, as they both drew on the drinker’s own magical core. Had that been the reason Potter had been given the potion? Was someone-perhaps Albus-trying to prevent Potter from receiving his Inheritance? If so, they had almost succeeded; Potter’s magical core had been weakened due to the potion and, even with the counter-potion Severus had given him, it would take a few weeks for his magic to stabilize. If Severus had not discovered the Potion, Potter would have been too weak to receive an Inheritance. In fact, the Inheritance might have killed him or left him as a squib.

“Well, even with the Inheritance Harry should still return to his relative’s before the end of summer,” Albus said, the annoying twinkle back in his eye, “A couple weeks apart should give everyone time to cool down, and I will speak to Petunia so that Harry can spend the last week of the holidays with his relatives. Do you have anything else to report?” Severus fought to hide his disgust; Albus had ignored everything he had been told, and still wanted to send Potter back to the Dursley’s. Well, Severus was not going to allow that to happen, and he had better things to do than attend a staff meeting that would be exactly the same as all the other staff meetings he had attended over the past ten years. Decision made, he reached into his robe pocket and pulled out his lesson plans for the upcoming year.

“I will be unable to stay for the staff meeting, however here are all of my lesson plans for the upcoming year,” Severus stood up, setting his untouched cup of tea on the desk, “I shall see you at the end of the month. Oh, and Minerva wishes to speak to you regarding Potter.” Severus didn’t give the headmaster a chance to reply, but spun on his heel and left the office.

///////////////

After Severus left for the staff meeting, Draco remained in the room to watch over Harry. The increase of power was not the only gift in a D’Angeline Inheritance, and Draco was pleased to be able to watch the physical changes that occurred. Harry’s hair became thicker and wilder; the black curls now had a sheen of blue to them. His skin was only a shade or two darker than Draco’s own ivory complexion, and his facial features took on a more aristocratic appearance, making the boy look less like James Potter and more like the picture Draco had seen of Lily.

Draco lay next to Harry for just over an hour, one of his hands gently stroking the soft dark locks, when the brunet began to stir. Draco smirked; he had woken up after an hour, and it looked like Harry was going to wake up early too; most people took two or three hours to wake up after their Inheritance. Of course, Harry was his mate, and was obviously stronger than a normal wizard their age.

“Dobby,” Draco called softly, wanting to let Harry drift towards consciousness on his own. Within seconds the house elf appeared, and Draco quickly gave him orders. “Go tell Mother and Father that Harry is about to wake up, and we need the potions.” Dobby bowed and vanished without making a reply; he had sensed his masters need for quiet.

A soft groan had Draco turning his attention back to Harry just as the brunet opened his eyes.

“Hey,” Draco said softly, putting Harry’s glasses on his face, “How do you feel?”

“Tired,” Harry’s reply was whisper-soft, and Draco had to strain to hear, “Thirsty.”

“Mother and Father will be here with your potions soon,” Draco assured him, “You can’t have anything else until then because it might make you sick. Can you sit up?” Harry nodded, and pushed himself into a sitting position; Draco quickly moved to adjust Harry’s pillows so that the brunet could lean against them comfortably. Once Harry was settled, Draco examined his friend-mate, a voice in the back of his head insisted-more closely.

He saw that the marque on Harry’s wrists were still there, faint, but slightly darker than Draco’s own marque. Draco could tell that Harry was tired, but the potions would help with that. He let his gaze roam Harry’s face, once more taking in the slightly altered features, and smirked when the brunet shot him a puzzled look. His smirk fell, however, when he looked into Harry’s eyes, and he couldn’t hold back a gasp.

“What? What is it?” Harry immediately demanded, “Is-is something wrong?”

“I-you feel okay, except for being tired?” Draco ignored Harry’s questions to ask one of his own, and the younger boy nodded. “Nothing hurts?” Harry shook his head, eyes wide and nervous. “Can you see okay?”

“Yes,” Harry frowned, “I’m wearing my glasses, so I can see fine.” Draco let out a sigh of relief; he had been worried when he saw Harry’s eyes. There were still a bright emerald green, but in the iris of Harry’s left eye there was a spot of dark red, which looked like blood.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Draco said, “I just noticed that you have a fleck of red in your eye, and I thought you were hurt. You’re sure you feel okay?”

“I’m sure,” Harry smiled, reaching out to touch Draco on the shoulder, “Thank you.”

“Awake already, are we Harry?” Lucius smiled as he entered the room with Narcissa at his side, “How do you feel?”

“I feel fine,” Harry replied, “Just thirsty, and a little tired.”

“That is to be expected,” Narcissa said, sitting down on the bed with Harry and Draco, “Lucius?” Lucius handed Narcissa two potions vials, which she passed to Harry. “The first will help your power regulate after your Inheritance, which should help with the tiredness, while the second is a potion to ease any discomfort. Even though you feel fine now, if you do not take the potion you may hurt in the morning.” Harry nodded his understanding and drank the potions, then looked at Narcissa.

“Mrs-I mean, Narcissa,” he began nervously, “Draco said I have red on my eye, but it doesn’t hurt or anything.” Narcissa frowned slightly and placed a hand under Harry’s chin so that she could tilt his head up to the light.

“Yes, I see it,” she murmured, “Lucius, do you see?”

“I do,” Lucius replied, standing behind his wife, “You say it doesn’t hurt, and you can see as well as usual?”

“Yes, sir,” Harry replied, “Am I-is this bad?” His eyes flicked nervously between the two adult Malfoy’s; were they about to tell him that he really was a freak? Maybe they would send him away...

“It is not necessarily a bad thing,” Lucius said thoughtfully as Narcissa dropped her hand away, allowing Harry to look down, “If you are not hurt then…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I feel as though I have seen something similar before, or read about it, however I cannot recall the information.”

“Perhaps Severus will know,” Narcissa suggested, “We can send Dobby to have him return,”

“There is no need,” Lucius smiled as he felt a disturbance in the wards, announcing the arrival of a friend, “He seems to have just returned, and I am certain he will be up here shortly.” They waited a few minutes and, sure enough, Severus entered the room, his scowl morphing into a worried frown when he saw that Harry was already awake.

“Harry? How do you feel?” He demanded, sitting next to Harry on the opposite side of the bed from Draco and Narcissa.

“He is fine,” Lucius assured him before Harry could reply, “He only woke up a few minutes ago, and we already gave him his potions. We do have a slight concern, however; do you notice anything different about his eyes?” Severus’s frown intensified as he had Harry look at him, then his face paled.

“Merlin,” he said softly, “In all my years, I never thought-” Severus shook his head, “Although, I suppose that Merlin is not the one I should be praying to, as this mark belongs to a different angel.” Narcissa softly cleared her throat, a reminder that they were all waiting for an explanation. Severus nodded, then addressed Harry. “Harry, you bear the mark known as Kushiel’s Dart,” he explained, “In times of great conflict, when the balance of the world is in danger, the gods-or angels-will chose a mortal and bestow their mark upon him. Even in Terre D’Ange someone with Kushiel’s Dart is rare, but here; I believe you are the second person to ever bear the mark of Kushiel’s Dart outside of Terre D’Ange. The first, and last, person to have that honor was Salazar Slytherin.”

“What does it mean?” Draco demanded, and Harry was grateful that someone else had asked the question, “Why does Harry have the mark, and what does it mean for him? What does it mean for us?”

“It means that sometime in the future there will be a war of some sort, and Harry will be a deciding factor in how that war ends,” Lucius said, recalling his studies in Terre D’Ange now that Severus had reminded him of Kushiel’s Dart, “Harry’s actions will have great effect on our world, which is why he needs someone strong to stand by his side, to offer him support and guidance.”

“I will, of course, support him,” Severus glared at his friend, “It is my job to guide him and-”

“Severus,” Lucius interrupted, shaking his head slightly, “You know that cannot be. You will guide and protect him as much as you can, but you will not, ultimately, be the one responsible for casting and directing Kushiel’s Dart. That honor and responsibility will belong to Harry’s mate.” Lucius’ blue eyes rested on his son for a moment, before he turned his attention back to Severus. Before either man could say something else, Harry spoke up.

“I don’t want to fight a war,” he said quietly, and everyone turned to look at the small boy huddled at the top of the bed, “I-I don’t want the responsibility.”

“That is why I am here,” Draco told him, ignoring the adults in the room. He reached out and took hold of Harry’s hand, squeezing reassuringly, “Harry, when you had your Inheritance your power was very strong, and Severus couldn’t touch you, but I could. I am a Dominant, and you are my mate. I know we just met, but I already know that I don’t ever want to be away from you, and I will always protect you. I'll always be your best friend and, if there is a war, you won’t fight alone.”

“Promise?” Harry asked in a small voice, “Do you-do you promise you’ll always be with me?”

“I promise,” Draco said, squeezing his hand once more. A soft golden glow surrounded their clasped hands, and Draco and Harry’s marques darkened just the slightest bit. Harry smiled at Draco, drawing strength from the blond’s support.

“Well, this proves that the boys are definitely soul mates,” Narcissa smiled, pleased that Draco and Harry could be together; not only did this mean Draco would be powerful, but it was already clear to her that her son loved Harry, even if he didn’t know it yet. “It will be another hour before supper is ready, so why don’t you just stay up here and relax? Draco can stay with you, and Dobby will let you know when it is time to come downstairs.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Harry agreed. He smiled when Narcissa gave him a soft kiss on the forehead before leaving the room with Lucius.

“I will see you both for supper,” Severus stood up as well, “There is more to know about your Inheritance, however there is someone I wish to speak to before we discuss it. I will see you both at supper. In the meantime you should rest; do not allow Harry to over exert himself, Draco.” Both boys nodded under Severus’ stern look; the dark-haired man briefly placed a comforting hand on Harry’s shoulder and then left the room to seek out more information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait, but the new chapter has finally arrived! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and hope you enjoy!


	7. Anguisette

Chapter 7: Anguisette

Supper was a quiet affair; Harry and Draco were seated at one end of the table, while the elder Malfoy’s and Severus sat at the other, providing the adults with some privacy. Harry knew they were talking about him, and he wondered if they would tell him the truth, or if they would lie to him like the Dursley’s always had. He didn’t spend too much time dwelling on it, however, as Draco demanded his full attention. The youngest Malfoy was busy telling Harry everything he could remember about Terre D’Ange, as they would be spending the next few weeks there. Although he didn’t say anything, Harry was nervous about having to adjust to yet another new world, before he could even properly adjust to being a wizard.

“What’s wrong, Harry?” Draco demanded as they followed the adults back to the study after supper.

“Nothing,” Harry replied, not wanting to worry his new friend.

“Something’s wrong,” Draco insisted, “I can tell. Are you worried about tomorrow? It should be fun, and I’ll be with you, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“Everything is just so different,” Harry said, “I-I never really fit in before; what if I don’t fit in now either?”

“You will,” Draco told him, “You’ll always have me, and I’ll introduce you to some of my other friends tomorrow.” Draco frowned, then added, “You can’t be scared all the time, Harry; or, at least, you can’t show it. If people know you’re scared then they’ll pick on you, so you have to learn to hide it. You also have a lot of power now, so you don’t have to be scared of anyone anymore.

“I don’t know how to use my power though,” Harry pointed out, “And I’m not scared. I’m just…everything is new and I don’t know what to do, or how to act.”

“Do whatever you want,” Draco said carelessly as they reached the study; he pulled Harry to sit in the same chair they shared earlier in the day, “If you’re doing something you shouldn’t, I’ll let you know and help you. So will Mother and Father and Uncle Sev.”

“Do not worry, Harry,” Narcissa smiled softly as she sat down on the loveseat with Lucius beside her, and Severus once more took the other armchair, “I am certain Severus will arrange for you to have lessons so that you will better know what to expect.”

“Of course,” Severus agreed, “Some of the books we purchased today will help you as well. How are you feeling, Harry? Are you still at all sore?

“I’m fine,” Harry shrugged, “Nothing hurts now, and I don’t even feel tired anymore.”

“Very good,” Severus sat back in the chair and accepted the glass of firewhiskey a house elf brought for him, “Now, in regards to your Inheritance this afternoon, I have located an individual in Terre D’Ange who also bears the mark of Kushiel, and she has agreed to meet with us in the morning, before you meet with the other children your age. She will be able to tell you what to expect in the future and answer any questions you may have about being Kushiel’s Dart. In the meantime, do you have any questions for me?”

“Draco said I’m his mate,” Harry began, recalling Draco’s words when he had first woken after his Inheritance, “and that I’m his submissive, but what does that really mean? Does it mean I have to do whatever he says?” Harry had already noticed that the blond was kind of bossy, and he was worried he might get in trouble if he didn’t want to do something Draco told him to.

“Yes,” Draco said at once, only to pout when Severus shook his head in the negative.

“No, it does not mean you have to do whatever Draco tells you to do,” Severus countered, narrowing his eyes at his godson before turning his attention to Harry, “There will be times when you will have an overwhelming urge to obey Draco, however you will always have a choice. Just because Draco is the dominant, that does not mean he can boss you around; as a dominant, Draco has a responsibility to take care of you and protect you.” Severus paused for a moment, trying to decide how much information to share with the two boys. “Draco may have some of the protective feelings already, but, since you are both still children, it falls to me to protect you. It will be several years before Draco feels the need to protect you, unless something serious happens.”

“I’ll protect him now,” Draco said stubbornly, “I already promised, and a Malfoy never breaks a promise.”

“You are still young, Draco,” Lucius said, catching his sons gaze with his own blue eyes, “I expect you to look to Severus for assistance if Harry finds himself in trouble.” Draco narrowed his eyes at his father for a moment, before looking away with a pout.

“Yes sir,” he scowled, obviously not happy with the decision, but unwilling to argue with his father.

“Of course, you don’t need to worry about any of this right now anyway,” Narcissa added, “It is highly unlikely Harry will find himself in danger any time soon. Do you have any other questions, Harry?”

“What is Terre D’Ange like?”

“You will find out tomorrow,” Severus was the one to answer, “It will be different from the Muggle world, and even the Magical world here, but that is all I will say on the matter. Tomorrow you will begin learning more about Terre D’Ange, as well as what to expect from your Inheritance. You will, of course, be on your best behavior.”

“Yes sir,” Harry nodded, then frowned, “How will I learn everything I need to know before school starts if I’ll also be learning about Terre D’Ange? Draco said I have a lot to learn before Hogwarts.”

“You will only be in Terre D’Ange for two weeks this summer,” Narcissa told him, “and you will be given free time every day which you can use for your magical studies. Severus, perhaps you should write up a study guide for him to reference, and I can make sure Dobby packs the appropriate books.”

“I will do that,” Severus agreed, “Draco, will you help him study?”

“Of course,” Draco drawled, casually putting his hand on top of Harry’s, “I told Harry I would make sure he knows everything important before school starts. What will he be studying?”

“Just the basics,” Severus replied, “An overview for History of Magic, and beginners theory for Charms and Transfiguration.” Severus looked at Harry, who was listening with wide-eyed interest, and added, “I will teach you about Potions when you return from Terre D’Ange, however you can read your beginners books for Potions, Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts if you have the time. I will make a list of assignments for you to complete on each subject, however I want you to focus on History, Charms and Transfiguration first, and only work on the others if you have spare time.”

“Okay,” Harry agreed, looking forward to reading through his school books; they had to be more interesting than the ones he used in Primary School. “Do they speak a different language in Terre D’Ange?”

“No,” Lucius replied, then asked, “Do you speak any other languages?”

“No sir,” Harry shook his head, then laughed and added, “Well, not unless you count talking to snakes.” Harry was unprepared for the sudden silence, and shrank back in the chair when he saw that all the adults were looking at him with wide eyes.

“Harry,” Severus began, speaking slowly and calmly, “Am I to understand that you can speak to snakes?”

“Y-yes sir,” Harry stammered; why was everyone staring at him? Had he done something wrong?

“Really?” Harry turned his head and saw that Draco was grinning at him, “That is perfect! Now you’ll definitely have to be in Slytherin! The House mascot is a snake, and everyone will be jealous that you can speak Parseltongue.” He paused for a moment, then, “Do you think you can teach me?”

“Um, I never knew I was speaking a different language,” Harry replied, a still a little uncomfortable with the attention, but not feeling as worried with the way Draco was smiling at him, “I don’t even know how I understood the snake. I didn't-it's not bad?" He looked at Severus, but Narcissa was the one to answer.

“Parseltongue is a rare gift in our world,” Narcissa gave Harry a reassuring smile, “The first known Parslemouth was Salazar Slytherin himself; he was one of the four Hogwarts Founders. This is a gift to be proud of.”

“It is also a gift to be cautious with,” Severus added, and Harry focused green eyes on his guardian, “Many people believe that it is Dark Magic, the ability to speak to snakes. This is, of course, false, however you will want to be careful who you reveal your gift to. Some people may look upon you with suspicion, so I would advise you to keep it a secret for now.”

“Yes,” Lucius agreed, “You should keep your gift a secret, at least until you are in control of it. I will search out some books on Parseltongue, and will hopefully have them before September first. Severus, Harry should also make a study of languages; Latin and French, at the very least, although Spanish, Italian and German can also be useful.” Harry’s eyes widened at the thought of more things to learn; he wouldn’t even have time to sleep at this rate!

“There is not enough time to begin learning a new language before school begins,” Severus said thoughtfully, “I will arrange for him to study Latin during the school year; once he has the basics then we will add another language. Don’t look so alarmed, Harry,” Severus raised an eyebrow as he noticed the panicked expression on Harry’s face, “I assure you that you will have enough time to learn everything that is needed, and still be able to enjoy yourself. You have several years of catching up to do, thanks to the Dursley’s, however no one expects you to make it all up at once.”

“Yes sir,” Harry nodded to show that he understood, then let out a yawn, which was soon copied by Draco.

“I believe it is time for children to go to bed,” Narcissa smiled softly as she stood up, “After all, we have an early day tomorrow. Come along boys; Draco, tell your father and Severus good night, and you as well, Harry.” The boys nodded and stood up; Harry watched as Draco walked over to Lucius and gave him a hug, receiving a kiss on the cheek from his father. Then, Draco hugged his godfather, and turned to look at Harry.

“Er, good night, sir-I mean, Lucius,” Harry said hesitantly, holding out a hand for his friend’s father to shake. Lucius was about to shake his hand, but a warning glare from Narcissa had Lucius giving him a hug instead. Harry’s eyes widened in shock as he returned the hug, and then moved over to Severus, who-after receiving his own fierce glare from Narcissa-gave him a hug as well.

“After all,” Lucius drawled, gesturing for the boys to follow Narcissa out of the room, “You are family now, Harry. Good night, boys.” Harry and Draco called out good night, then allowed Narcissa to take them each by the hand and lead them upstairs.

“Mother,” Draco pouted, “I don’t need you to assist me up the stairs. Neither does Harry, right Harry?” Harry leaned around Narcissa to look at his friend, biting his lip uncertainly; no, he didn’t need Narcissa to hold his hand but…it was a nice feeling, and he didn’t really want to give it up just yet.

“I know you don’t need it,” Narcissa replied calmly, “This is for my benefit; tomorrow you will be leaving home for the first time and, even though it is only for two weeks this time, I will miss you. Yes, you as well Harry; I want to hold your hand, Draco darling, as it brings back memories of when you were younger.” They came to a stop in the hallway between Harry and Draco’s rooms. “Come Harry; we’ll tuck you in first, and then I will tuck Draco in.” The trio entered Harry’s room, and Narcissa released the boys’ hands so that she could pull the sheets down. “Take care of any last minute business, then come climb in bed.”

Harry quickly ran through his nighttime routine-well, what was going to be his routine from now on; at the Dursley’s, he was always just thrown in his cupboard at bedtime. Since he was being given the opportunity, Harry relieved himself, then washed his face and brushed his teeth before returning to the bedroom and climbing in bed. Narcissa pulled the sheets up and tucked him in, then gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“Good night, Harry,” she said, “Draco will be right across the hall, but if you need anything, you can call for Dobby and he will help you.”

“Thank you,” Harry said gratefully, “Goodnight, Narcissa.” He snuggled into his pillows and looked over at Draco, just as the blond climbed up beside him. “Night, Draco.”

“Good night, Harry,” Draco replied, before leaning down to give him a kiss on the cheek and then climbing off the bed to stand beside his mother, “I will come get you for breakfast, so I can help you choose your clothes.” Harry nodded his agreement, then watched as mother and son left the room, Narcissa doused the lights by touching an orb on the wall just before the door closed, leaving Harry in a soft darkness.

Today had been a good day, Harry decided as he rolled over to find a comfortable position. Severus rescued him from the Dursley’s, he learned magic was real, made his first friend, and had even been accepted into a family. He felt a moment of sadness that the Dursley’s-who were actually his flesh and blood relative’s-had never been able to accept him the way Severus and the Malfoy’s had, but he quickly pushed it away. Harry fell asleep with a smile as Lucius’s words echoed in his mind; _“You are family now, Harry.”_

//////////////

“How are we getting to Terre D’Ange?” Harry asked as he followed Draco out of the dining room after breakfast the next morning, “Does Floo work between different worlds?”

“Of course not,” Draco scoffed, “We use a portal to get there. We have a private portal in the manor, but some people have to pay to use one of the public portals, like the one in the Leaky Cauldron.”

“There is a portal at Prince Manor as well,” Severus called over his shoulder, “Most of the oldest families have access to a private portal.” Harry’s guardian then returned to the quiet conversation he had been having with Draco’s parents.

“Have you been to Terre D’Ange yet?” Harry asked his friend.

“No,” Draco shook his head, “You can’t get there until you have your Inheritance; Mother explained it once, she said that a witch or wizards magic isn’t strong enough to let them cross between the two worlds until after our Inheritance. The portal room has wards on it so that no one can enter unless they have had the Inheritance already. Father will have to adjust the wards to allow us through this first time.” Draco fell quiet as the group stopped in front of a large wooden door; Lucius had drawn his wand, and Harry watched as the air in front of the door wavered for a moment before Lucius nodded and slid his wand back into his holster.

“Draco, you will go through with your mother,” Lucius said, “Then Severus and Harry shall follow, and I will go last.” Lucius pushed the door open, and Harry gasped as he saw the portal for the first time. The portal was slightly larger than a regular doorway, and it was black shot through with what appeared to be streaks of blue and gold lightning. Narcissa calmly took Draco by the hand and led him into the portal; Harry was able to see them walking for a few feet, then they vanished with a flash of light. The young boy jumped, startled, when Severus reached for his hand.

“There is nothing to be worried about, Harry,” Severus drawled, “Traveling by portal is quick, and easier than Floo travel. Now come; we don’t want to keep anyone waiting.” Harry hesitated for only a moment before placing his hand in Severus’ much larger one. Severus pulled him to the portal, and Harry gasped again as he felt the magic wash over him. The air around them grew oppressive for a moment, and then it was over and Harry was in a large, brightly lit anteroom, where Narcissa and Draco were already waiting.

“What took you so long?” Draco demanded, scowling at Harry. Before the brunet could answer, Lucius entered the room as well, and then a set of doors at the far side of the room opened, to reveal a teenager with red hair, freckles and a pair of gold wire-rimmed glasses.

“Hello,” the boy greeted them politely, “My name is Percy Weasley; I have been instructed to escort you to your meeting this morning, after which I will be escorting the boys to meet with the other new children."

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley," Lucius returned the greeting, "I am Lucius Malfoy; this is my wife, Narcissa, and my son, Draco." Narcissa curtsied and Draco bowed, then Severus took up the introductions.

"I am Severus Prince, and this is my ward, Harry Potter," Harry imitated Draco's bow, and Severus continued, "Is the Comtesse ready to see us?"

"Yes, Lord Prince," Percy replied, "If you will follow me, the Dowayne has provided a room for your meeting." Percy led the way out of the anteroom, Lucius and Narcissa just behind him, followed by Harry and Draco, with Severus bringing up the rear.

They walked through several hallways, until they reached a wooden door that was partially open; Percy knocked on the door, then bowed the group inside.

“Lord Prince, his young ward, Master Potter, Lord and Lady Malfoy, and Master Malfoy,” Percy announced them, “May I introduce you to Comtesse Phedre no Delaunay de Montreve and her consort, Joscelin Verreuil.” Narcissa offered a curtsy, while Severus, Lucius and the boys bowed. As he straightened up, Harry saw a lady wearing a black dress with red embroidery sitting on a low couch. She had dark hair pulled up into a jeweled net of some kind, and offered the group a warm smile. Her eyes, however, were what caught Harry’s attention the most; they were a dark brown, but in one eye, her left eye, she had a spot of red, just like him.

“Please, sit down,” the lady said, gesturing to the couch across from her.

“Thank you for seeing us on such short notice, Comtesse,” Severus said as he sat down on one end of the long couch with Harry beside him; Draco quickly took the seat next to Harry, with Narcissa beside him and Lucius sitting on the end of the couch next to his wife. It was a somewhat tight fit, but Draco and Harry didn’t seem to have any problem sitting close together, which gave the adults slightly more room.

“I have to admit, I was most intrigued by your letter,” the comtesse laughed, “It was my first time receiving an owl, as normally all owl communications come through the Dowayne of Vervain House, and are then passed on to the recipient. And please, everyone, call me Phedre; I am still not accustomed to being addressed as Comtesse.”

“I can understand that,” Severus smirked, “I have yet to get used to the title of Lord Prince; I would prefer Severus, if you would.”

“You must call me Narcissa,” Draco’s mother spoke up with a smile, “and my husband, Lucius.” As the adults were going through the polite small talk, Harry noticed the man standing behind the lady. The man had golden blond hair pulled back in a bun, and he wore grey clothes, although they looked very nice. He was watching their group as if they were dangerous, and his hands were crossed in front of him, resting above the hilts of his two daggers.

“Joscelin,” the man looked down at Phedre, and Harry saw him smile at her, “There is no need for you to act the Casseline today; today you are my Consort, so sit with me.” After a moment of silent communication, the man-Joscelin-gave a soft sigh and sat next to Phedre on the couch. His gaze roamed over the wizards again, coming to rest on Harry.

“I didn’t really believe it, but he does have the mark,” Joscelin said, “I’ve never heard of there being two Anguisettes at the same time.”

“Neither have I,” Phedre replied, shaking her head, “It is very rare for an Anguisette to be born.” Harry frowned; that was twice that the word Anguisette was mentioned, but what did it mean?

“Excuse me, what is an Anguisette?” Evidently Draco had the same question. Phedre glanced at Severus before answering.

“I am an Anguisette, and so is Harry,” Phedre told them, “I had a chance to look through some books, and there are differences between an Anguisette born in Terre D’Ange, such as myself, and an Anguisette who is also a witch or wizard. I was born with the mote in my eye, however I believe you, Harry, only acquired the mote last night?”

“Yes Ma’am,” Harry confirmed, “I had it when I woke up from my Inheritance.”

“Then you will not have experienced any of the…,” Phedre paused for a moment, as if searching for the correct word, “You will not have experienced any of the effects of being an Anguisette. Severus, have you done any reading on Anguisette’s?”

“I did,” Severus confirmed. “However there was no information to be found. The books about Slytherin all mention that he was Kushiel’s Chosen, and an Anguisette, but the term is not explained; I do not remember learning about Anguisette’s during my days in Terre D’Ange, either.”

“I found a book at the manor that mentions the term Anguisette,” Lucius spoke up, “I brought it with me, as I had planned to give it to Harry when we leave.” Lucius pulled a worn book out of his pocket; the book had a black leather cover, and it was embossed with a bronze quill over a dark blue background. “This book was written by Rowena Ravenclaw, and it mentions the fight that caused Slytherin to leave Hogwarts.” He opened the book and read “ _‘…Salazar’s leave-taking has hit us all hard, but who could blame him after what he witnessed last night? I never would have expected Godric could be so cruel; Godric was so used to his lover accepting pain for the pleasure it gave Salazar, that he never expected our friend to leave. Foolish man! Even an Anguisette cannot find pleasure in the pain of betrayal and heartbreak.’ ”_ Harry and Draco shared a look; how did that explain what an Anguisette was?

“No,” Severus’ voice was cold, his face set in anger, “I will not allow it. After the way the Muggles treated him-no. I will not allow any harm to come to Harry, no matter what this Inheritance says.” Harry’s eyes widened, and he moved closer to Severus; why did they want to hurt him? Were his aunt and uncle right? Was Harry a freak that deserved to be punished for being selfish enough to live when his parents were dead? Harry took some comfort from Draco when the blond took his hand, but all his attention was on the adults in the room; the Joscelin guy was glaring at him earlier-was he the one who wanted to hurt Harry?

“You misunderstand,” Phedre’s voice was soft and comforting, “No one wants to cause Harry any pain; to be an Anguisette is to find pleasure in pain.”

“No!” Harry was the one who protested this time, startling even himself with the outburst, “I don’t-I don’t like being hurt! It’s not-please!” He turned to Severus, eyes wet with unshed tears, “I’m sorry and I’ll try not to be a freak any more, but please-please don’t let them hurt me! I don’t like it!” Harry caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and gasped when he saw Joscelin stand up, his hand outstretched. “No!” Harry cried again, “I’ll be good!” Severus wrapped his arms around Harry, pulling the small boy into his lap; Harry was still holding Draco’s hand, however, so the blond was pulled along too. This didn’t seem to bother Draco, as he just moved to his knees and wrapped his arms around Harry from the side, helping to shield him from these people who were talking about doing his mate harm. Harry, for his part, was feeling slightly ashamed at being held while he cried like a baby, but he also felt grateful that Draco and Severus wanted to protect him.

“No one will harm you,” Severus’ voice was as cold as ever, but his arms still held Harry securely, “There is no need for hysterics. Why did you panic when Joscelin moved?” Harry bit his lip, hiding his face in Severus’ shoulder until his guardian prompted him to answer, “Harry?”

“It-he was glaring at me,” Harry mumbled, “I could tell he didn’t like me, and then…when…she said I would like the pain, I thought-Joscelin is-”

“He thought Joscelin was here to hurt him because Harry is an Anguisette,” Draco interjected when it became clear that Harry couldn’t get the words out. “Harry could tell that Joscelin is the most dangerous one in the room.”

“On the contrary,” Narcissa said sweetly, leaning over Draco so that she could card her fingers through Harry’s dark locks and offer him some comfort, “I believe I am much more dangerous than Mr. Verreuil; if I even think he is about to harm our Harry, you’ll get to see just how dangerous I am.” Harry looked up at that and saw that Narcissa’s grey eyes were narrowed at the blond man standing a few feet away.

“I have no intention of harming him,” Joscelin frowned, holding his hands up to show that he meant no harm, “I just-I wanted to comfort him because he seemed so scared. I didn’t mean to scare him.” Rich laughter rang out in the room, and Joscelin turned to glare at Phedre as the rest of the room stared at the dark-haired comtesse. “And what is so funny?”

“You!” Phedre giggled, “I can’t remember the last time I saw you with a child who didn’t love you!”

“I can,” Joscelin’s voice was grim, “When we first met Imriel.” Phedre’s laughter quickly died away, to be replaced by a look of sorrow.

“He thought you betrayed the realm,” she said softly, “and he thought I-” she cut herself off as if just remembering their audience. “But we saved him, and he is happy now.”

“Yes, we saved him, and we brought him home,” Joscelin agreed, sitting down again and taking Phedre’s hand in his own. After a moment he looked up, blue eyes coming to rest on Harry. “I apologize for scaring you; I have never hit a child, and I never will.”

“And I should have explained better,” Phedre added, “I will endeavor to correct my mistake. First, however, I’ll send for some refreshments.”

“If you could arrange some chocolate for the boys it would be most welcome,” Lucius said, and Phedre nodded before crossing over to the door. She held a soft conversation with someone on the other side, and when she turned around she held a tea tray in her hands.

“Adept Percy anticipated the need for refreshments and had them ready for us,” She explained as she set the tray down, “I told him we didn’t need his services to pour the tea, but I can still call him in here if you like.”

“I do not think that will be necessary,” Severus declined the offer.

“I can pour the tea,” Harry made to stand up, but Severus tightened his arms around his ward.

“I would rather you stay on the couch with me,” the dark-haired man said.

“Can you at least let me go?” Harry sighed, and Severus allowed the boy to sit on the couch.

“I can fix our tea,” Draco said, releasing Harry’s hand to stand up; he poured a cup of tea for each of his parents and Severus, already knowing how they liked it, and then fixed himself and Harry a cup of tea with copious amounts of cream and sugar. He also fixed a plate of snacks for them to share, and picked up the two bars of Honeydukes chocolate that had been provided.

“I think you should perhaps stop giving Draco tea, and instead just allow him to have a cup of cream and sugar,” Severus said drily as he sipped his own tea, black with just a drop of honey.

“I think it tastes good,” Harry said loyally, earning a smile from the blond.

“You are an eleven year old boy,” Lucius drawled, “You are at the age where sugar cubes taste good. Eat your chocolate boys; it will help settle your nerves.” Phedre and Joscelin held a quiet conversation on their couch, allowing the Malfoy’s, Severus and Harry to have their own conversation.

“It would help settle my nerves if people would stop talking about harming my Harry,” Draco said pompously, “As if I would allow that to happen. I don’t even know why you arranged this meeting, Uncle Sev; these people obviously-”

“That is enough, Draco,” Narcissa said sternly, “You will mind your manners.”

“Yes, Draco,” Severus agreed, scowling at his godson, “Didn’t you ever teach him that children should be seen and not heard?” Narcissa gave her friend a flat look, before turning her attention to Harry.

“Are you alright now, Harry?” she asked.

“Yes, Mrs-I mean, Narcissa,” Harry replied as he finished off his last bit of chocolate, “I didn’t mean to…er, throw a tantrum. I don’t know why I acted like that. I think-I mean, Lady Phedre seems nice…maybe I overreacted?” Before Narcissa could reply, Phedre called out to Severus to get his attention.

“Firstly, I apologize for upsetting everyone,” Phedre began, “I never meant to imply that Harry was going to be harmed, and I should have been more careful with my explanation.”

“Apology accepted,” Severus said, “Are you now prepared to inform us about what it means to be an Anguisette? If not, perhaps you can direct me to some books on the subject.”

“I hope that won’t be needed,” Phedre said, “Instead of just telling you what an Anguisette is, Joscelin has suggested that I tell you about my childhood, leading up to the time I discovered I was an Anguisette. Afterwards we can discuss how this will affect Harry. Is this acceptable?”

“It is,” Severus agreed, and the Malfoy’s nodded.

“Do the boys know the history of Terre D’Ange and the Night Court?”

“Draco knows general information about the Night Court, and they have both been told of the founding of Terre D’Ange,” Lucius informed her, “I would prefer if you do not go into too many details if your story includes the Night Court; I believe the boys are still a little too young for that.”

“Of course,” Phedre agreed, “Well, first a brief explanation of the Night Court, for Harry.” Harry gave Phedre his full attention, briefly squeezing Draco’s hand when he saw the blond beginning to pout; really, Draco was so demanding sometimes!

“The Night Court, properly called the Court of the Night Blooming Flowers, is comprised of fourteen Houses,” Phedre said, “They evolved from Blessed Elua’s precept, love as thou wilt, and honor Naamah’s willingness to lay down with strangers in order to provide food for Elua. The Night Court contains the world’s foremost courtesans, and we have even attended to royalty in our day. Each of the fourteen Houses is ruled by a Dowayne. The children are kept apart from the activities of the House, studying the basics, such as reading, dancing and poetry. At age eleven, the children begin learning the secrets of Naamah, and they are sworn into her service at age 13. At age 16 an Adept is of legal age to begin accepting patrons and earning coin to pay the House back for their rearing. All money from an assignation goes towards the Adepts House, but patron gifts go towards the adept’s marque. When a marque is complete the Adept is free to choose their own patrons, and may either stay in the House, or open their own salon.

“Each House has certain standards for the Adepts there. In Jasmine House the canon is exotic beauty, while Cereus House it is fragile beauty. I will explain more on the canons if they come up in the story, otherwise you will learn of them in your regular lessons. For now, I will tell you my story, beginning with my parents. My mother was Liliane de Souverain…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we've started to go deeper into the world of Terre D'Ange, as created by Jacqueline Carey. I will try to explain things that are exclusive to that world within my story, but if I leave you with any confusion let me know and I'll try to explain better. In the Kushiel's Legacy series, an Anguisette is a woman who finds pleasure in pain-all types of pain, as Phedre explained. Harry's reactions will be slightly different, because, in my AU, the magic in his veins alters his D'Angeline blood. There are more explanations to be had in the next few chapters, and I plan to have the boys head to Hogwarts soon as well. Hope you enjoyed!


	8. Phedre's Tale

“…My mother was Liliane de Souverain, an Adept of Jasmine House, and my father was Pierre Cantrel, a merchant’s son. My father was enamored of my mother and sought the Dowayne’s permission for them to be wed, but the Dowayne denied his request. My mother had fallen in love with Pierre as well and, since she had already made her marque, they eloped. When they returned, my mother was heavy with child and Jasmine House welcomed her back with open arms, supporting her during her lying-in. If my mother had cast true, as she believed she would, then I would be raised in Jasmine House, and she would become a teacher for young adepts; if I met the canon of another House, then I would be fostered in Jasmine until I reached the age of ten, when I would join my new House.”

“Your mum was just going to give you away to someone?” Harry asked, scandalized at the thought of parents willingly leaving their child behind.

“It’s not as bad as it seems,” Phedre laughed, “My parents would still be able to see me, I would just be raised and taught by the House. Of course, that was not to be. After I was born, it became apparent that I was, according to the House, flawed. I had a scarlet mote in my eye and, at that time, none remembered what it meant; to them, I was simply flawed goods. Jasmine House would not take me, and told my mother that she would have to support us by taking patrons, which my father would not allow. Instead, my father convinced his father to finance a trading mission, and took me and my mother along with him. For two years we travelled with a merchant caravan, and my father lost all of the money my grandfather had given him. He begged money for another chance, but his father said that he would have to finance it himself. My mother was pregnant again at this point, and they could not afford to support two children, so my mother made a decision.

Liliane took me to Cereus House, first of the fourteen Houses, and begged an audience with the Dowayne. In the end, the Dowayne agreed to foster me until I was old enough that someone could buy my marque, on the condition that my mother never told anyone about me; she would not have it spread about that she took in a ‘whore’s unwanted get’.” Harry gasped at the harsh words, but Phedre only smiled, as if they didn’t bother her at all, “I never saw my mother or father again. The last memory I have of my mother is her looking at me with tear-filled eyes before thrusting me at the Dowayne and leaving without a backwards glance.” Harry frowned; was that how they treated children in Terre D’Ange? It didn’t seem to be much better than the Dursley’s treated him. He decided not to voice his concerns, at least, not at the moment.

“I spent the next three years being raised in Cereus House with the other children, yet not truly belonging,” Phedre continued, “The other children my age all knew what was to become of them-they knew which House they would go to upon their eleventh birthday, but my future was an unknown. The adepts often wondered what House I would belong to if I hadn’t been flawed, and it was in my seventh year that the question was answered.

“That year a Priest of Elua came to tell us the story of Blessed Elua, and how Terre D’Ange came to be,” Phedre paused and made eye contact with Harry, who found himself unable to look away, “On Brother Louvel’s last day with us, he told of Elua’s answer to his grandfather when the One God wanted him to come to his side in heaven. He held out his hand, and Cassiel, who loved him as a brother, was ready with his own dagger. Elua scored his palm, allowing the blood to flow, and told the One God that he could not come to his side because Heaven was bloodless, and Elua was not. This part of the story stuck with me long after the lesson.

“Each of us children was given a spray of anemones, to represent Elua’s blood, and they were pinned to our collars. My anemones had come loose and, as I was fixing them, I wondered whether the blood in my veins was the same as that which Elua had shed. Without any hesitation I took the pin and stabbed it into my palm, and felt such a sweet agony as the blood welled in the center of my palm.” Harry was breathless as he imagined it; in his mind, he could see a young girl with brown hair admiring the flowers given her, before grasping the shiny pin and pushing it into her hand. He imagined the blood welling up, bright against her pale skin, and had to close his eyes against a wave of dizziness.

“Harry?” that was Draco’s worried voice, “What is it? Are you alright?” Harry opened his eyes and forced a smile as he met Draco’s concerned gaze.

“I-what she said,” Harry’s voice was barely above a whisper, “It sounded…I think…I might like it.” He bowed his head. “I don’t-I don’t want to be hurt. Uncle Vernon and-and Dudley were…I didn’t like what they did. But…” Harry trailed off, shaking his head as he was unable to express his thoughts.

“I find pleasure in all types of pain,” Phedre said, capturing his attention with her soft words, “even when I would give anything not to, I always find at least a small amount of pleasure, whether it is physical pain or emotional pain, whether it is pain caused by hate, or pain caused out of love. You, however, will be different; the magic that flows through you has altered the blood of the gods which flows through your veins, which is why you have an Inheritance, instead of being born a D’Angeline.” She paused to collect her thoughts, wondering how to continue her explanation.

“How does Harry being a Wizard change things?” Severus asked, “You say that you find pleasure in all forms of pain; will this not be true for Harry?”

“I cannot say for certain,” Phedre replied, glad to have been given a direction to continue in, “from what I have read, Harry will still find pleasure in all types of pain, but the degree of pleasure will depend on the circumstances. For example, if someone he doesn’t care for causes him pain, he will feel some pleasure, but it will not be as intense as it would be coming from, perhaps, a lover when he is older.”

“Harry and Draco are soulmates,” Narcissa informed her, “Will this affect anything?”

“It might,” Phedre was frowning in thought, before she smoothed her expression, “We don’t have soulmates in Terre d’Ange; that is exclusive to the descendants of Merlin in your realm, it seems. The journals left by Salazar Slytherin will be your best chance to learn more. I do know that Harry will start to feel a need for the pleasure/pain that only an Anguisette can feel, however it won’t start until he is older; thirteen or fourteen at the earliest. In the meantime, you will need to be aware that physical punishments will still cause him pleasure, to a certain extent; however, his threshold will be lower since he is still a child.”

“I don’t know that physical punishment would be appropriate for Harry,” Severus frowned, “Not after what he has suffered at the hands of his Muggle relatives.”

“You have to use physical punishment,” Phedre protested, “An Anguisette cannot survive without some form of pain and, as I said, he will find at least a small amount of pleasure in it. Do you have a pin, or something else small and sharp?” Severus, Lucius and Narcissa all shook their heads in the negative.

“You want to give a demonstration,” Joscelin said as he unsheathed a dagger and held it out; Phedre took it with a smile of thanks.

“I think that you might understand better if you can see what happens,” she explained to the wizards as she positioned the dagger on her palm; she paused then looked at Joscelin, “Will you-?”

“Only for you,” Joscelin replied, taking the dagger back; he pressed the tip against Phedre’s palm and pressed down, drawing a line of blood. Harry and Draco stared in fascination at the blood, but the adults were all looking at Phedre’s face, and saw the expression of bliss that appeared for a few seconds after the cut was made. Joscelin cleaned the dagger and then placed it on the table between the two groups as Phedre spoke again.

“You see how such a small scratch affected me,” Her cheeks still held a slight flush, and her eyes sparkled, “Now see if Harry reacts in a similar way.” The adults looked at her aghast, but Harry was eyeing the dagger with a sort of reluctant interest, while Draco was watching Harry.

“I’ll do it,” the young Malfoy offered suddenly, leaning forward and picking up the dagger, “If Harry wants me to. Harry?” Green eyes met grey, and the brunet nodded once, blushing, before holding out his hand; his hand shook slightly, but his eyes showed only anticipation.

“I should do it,” Severus spoke up, although his voice was reluctant, “I am Harry’s guardian, so I should be the one to do this.”

“Severus, if Harry and Draco are both alright with this then I believe we should let them handle it,” Narcissa said gently, “This way, the three of us can watch Harry’s reaction. Draco, are you certain you want to do this?”

“Harry wants me to,” Draco replied firmly, not looking away from the emerald orbs gazing at him with such trust, “I am supposed to take care of him, and I promised I would. If this is what he needs, I will do it.” A pause, then, “It will only be a small cut, and you can heal it if it really hurts him, right Mother?”

“Of course,” Narcissa assured him, “Just be careful not to press too hard.” Severus and Lucius remained silent as Draco nodded, carefully holding Harry’s hand still as he placed the tip of the dagger in the center of Harry’s palm. The blond looked gave Harry a searching look, silently asking if the brunet was really okay with this, then dropped his gaze back down as he applied slight pressure to the dagger and slid it across the smaller boys palm, leaving a thin trail of blood in the daggers wake. Harry’s gasp had Draco pulling the dagger away as he looked up, and he was surprised to see those emerald eyes darkened with something Draco didn’t recognize. Harry’s mouth was slightly open and his breathing was fast; his eyelids were lowered and his cheeks were flushed red.

“I think that answers the question of whether or not Harry is an Anguisette,” Lucius said drily, “Now I suppose we need to know how to protect him, and to what extent the pain will be necessary for him.”

“I won’t be able to help much with that,” Phedre’s tone was regretful, “I am afraid you will have to go by trial and error. If he is anything like me, you will always know when Harry is feeling restless because of the blood in his veins; I reacted by running off to visit a friend in Night’s Doorstep, and the resulting punishment always left me feeling content afterwards. With Harry’s past, you may want to consider having him speak to a Healer. If he were older I would recommend a visit to Balm House; they have helped me in the past.”

“I am already in the process of acquiring a Mind Healer for him,” Severus informed her, “I just want to make sure it is someone we can trust without a doubt, because of Harry’s fame.”

“Have you tried Ted Tonks?” Narcissa suggested, “My sister’s husband is a Mind Healer, and we have mended our relationship over the past few years; Ted is one of the best, and is completely trustworthy.”

“I will owl him once we return to the manor,” Severus promised, “What else should we be aware of, Phedre?”

“As and Anguisette, Kushiel’s Chosen, there is one weakness we will always have,” Phedre’s voice was solemn, “Narcissa, your maiden name is Black, correct?” Narcissa nodded, her expression betraying nothing but a polite curiosity, “That means you hail from Kushiel’s Line; your family are Scions of Kushiel.”

“Yes,” Narcissa admitted, “I really should have recognized Kushiel’s Dart when I first saw it; my only excuse is that it has only occurred one other time in our world.”

“Then you know of the bond between Kushiel’s Line and Kushiel’s Chosen?” Phedre asked.

“Kushiel’s Line is drawn to Kushiel’s Dart,” Narcissa replied softly, “In that respect, Draco is an excellent match for Harry; as they grow, he will be able to meet all of Harry’s needs and will not shirk when a punishment is deserved. Unfortunately, there are several other families that have Kushiel’s blood flowing in their veins.” She turned soft grey eyes on her son, “This means that when you get to school you will have to protect Harry and be wary of your classmates.”

“I don’t always need someone to protect me,” Harry protested, even though he liked having Draco look after him, “I took care of myself against Dudley, and I can protect myself at school too, once I learn how.”

“There may be times when you won’t be able to protect yourself,” Phedre drew the attention back to her, “When you meet on of Kushiel’s Line, one in whom his blood is strong, you may not be able to act against them. When a Scion of Kushiel is near, we Anguisette’s find ourselves invariably drawn to them, and it is very difficult to resist them. When we have more time, I will tell you about myself and Melisande Shahrizai. The Dowayne has agreed to let you boys spend part of each evening with me, so that I can help you understand what might happen in the future; I have suggested that you be allowed to study the Ysandrine Cycle as well, since it tells much of my story.” At that moment there was a knock on the door, and it opened to reveal Percy Weasley, who bowed and waited to be acknowledged.

“Yes, Adept Percy?” Phedre prompted.

“The new children are being called to the Audience Room,” Percy said quietly, “The Dowayne wants everyone to be present in ten minutes.”

“I will release your charges to you momentarily,” Phedre promised, and Percy bowed again as he left the room. “Our time today is over, however I will see you boys tomorrow evening. If you think of any questions make sure to write them down and I will answer them as best as I can. Joscelin and I will give you time to say your good-byes.” Joscelin stood and offered Phedre his hand, pulling her to her feet and then following her to the other side of the room so that the wizards could have some privacy.

“You have been prepared for this moment,” Lucius addressed his son, “Remember what your mother and I have taught you, and do not cause trouble.”

“Yes, Father,” Draco said obediently, releasing Harry’s hand so that he could give his father a hug.

“My Dragon,” Narcissa smiled as she wrapped her arms around Draco, “You will do well, I know. Watch over Harry and make sure he doesn’t get too confused in the new world. You are a Malfoy and a Black, descended from Kushiel and Elua; never forget that, and we shall be proud of you.” Narcissa gave him a kiss on the cheek before releasing him and turning to address a surprised Harry. “Harry, darling, don’t let your fear stop you from enjoying yourself. Your first visit to Terre D’Ange is something to be cherished, and I am certain you will make many new friends. If you ever feel lost, Draco will help you.” She beckoned Harry over and gave him a hug and a kiss as well.

“If for any reason Draco is unable to help you, summon Dobby,” Lucius added, “he will get Severus, Narcissa, or myself.” He didn’t hug Harry, but placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a kind smile. Harry smiled back, hiding his nerves, and turned to face Severus, who had just finished bidding Draco farewell.

“Look to Draco if you are lost,” Severus said, “Stay safe and, if at any time you do not feel safe, do as Lucius said and call for Dobby. Study the lessons I gave you, and stay out of trouble. This is only for a fortnight, so I will see you again soon.” Severus hesitated a moment, then reached out to give Harry a quick hug. Harry squeezed back tightly before letting go, feeling lost until Draco took his hand once more.

“Good bye,” Draco said, calling out, “Thank you for your time, Comtesse.” Harry echoed the blond, and Phedre smiled.

“You are both most welcome,” she told them, “Now run along with Adept Percy, and I will see you tomorrow.” Draco bowed, which Harry quickly copied, and the two boys left the room to join Percy out in the hall.

“Ready then boys?” Percy asked cheerfully, “Follow me. We are going to the Audience Chamber, where all those who received an Inheritance this year will be gathering for the first time. You will see cushion’s on the floor; those are for you to kneel on. You will be taught how to properly kneel later; for today, you are simply expected to remain as still as possible. The Dowayne and her Second will greet everyone, then assign Adepts to be your Elder Brother’s or Sister’s. You will be given a study schedule, and also be assigned to a mentor group. The Comtesse may serve as your sole mentor, however the Dowayne is likely to assign you another. This first day will mostly be about learning the rules and getting acquainted with your year mates. Do you have any questions?”

“No, Adept Percy,” Draco replied, “Not at this time.”

“Very good,” Percy said, coming to a stop in front of a set of double doors; the doors were made of black stone, and white lights seemed to twinkle inside the stone. “This is made of Fairy Onyx,” Percy explained when he saw Harry’s look of awe, “It is so named because of the fairy lights that seem to twinkle inside the onyx, and it is very rare. Once we enter these doors, you must be silent until called upon.” Percy pushed the doors open, and the two boys followed him inside a cavernous room where what looked like thirty or forty children were kneeling on cushions. Harry didn’t have time to look at the other children however, as Percy led them to a pair of cushion’s in the middle of the group. Draco let go of Harry’s hand, as the cushions were too far apart for them to be able to hold hands comfortably, and knelt on his cushion. Harry studied him for a moment, and the way he knelt with his bum resting on his feet, his hands on his thighs and his head bowed, and then copied the position. Now, they simply had to wait.

 

/////////////////////////////

 

After the boys left, Severus and the Malfoy’s remained to speak with Phedre for another hour, mostly discussing what types of information they felt were appropriate to be shared with eleven year old boys, and what should be shared at a later date. Once that conversation was finished, Narcissa and Lucius returned to the manor, while Severus went on a self-appointed mission. It was time, he decided, to see what Arabella Figg knew about the potion given to Harry.

Unfortunately, Arabella was not at home when Severus arrived. A quick spell let Severus into the house, and another spell revealed a cabinet full of potions. There was, as Severus had suspected, the glamour potion, and the golden sheen to it meant that he was correct about a spell being added. To his surprise, Severus also saw a small purple potion, which had a note attached.

_“Arabella,_

_Thank you for all you have done over the years, watching over young Harry. It is imperative that he be ready when the time comes to face his destiny, and living with the Dursley’s will give him the motivation he needs. Harry will be spending a few weeks elsewhere, however he will return for the last week of August. There is no need to continue slipping him glamour potions at the moment, but make sure you keep them in case they are needed at a later date. At some point before he leaves for London, I need you to give this potion to Harry; the potion will restrict part of his magic. It will make him slightly weaker for the time being, but the magic locked away will be able to grow and flourish, ensuring that his magic is strong enough for the destiny that awaits him. If any problems arise, please do not hesitate to contact me.”_

The letter was unsigned, and Severus was able to determine that a dicta-quill had been used, masking the writer’s signature. Severus was certain Dumbledore was behind the letter, but there was no proof. The most he would be able to do is get Arabella in trouble, but then Albus would know that Severus suspected him. Unless…could he play it off as he wanted to talk to Arabella to see if he had been overreacting about Harry’s treatment at the hands of the Muggles and he came across the potions by accident? Arabella would, of course, be tried, and the use of veritaserum would ensure that Dumbledore’s involvement became public knowledge. It was a sound plan, however perhaps it would be best to discuss it with Lucius first. Severus glared at the note and the purple potion and then closed the cabinet, re-doing the wards and fixing the magical signature so that he would not be discovered. If Severus thought there was the slimmest chance Harry would be returning here at any point in the future he would have destroyed the potion, but since he had no intention of Harry ever setting foot on Privet Drive again, he determined it was safe enough to leave everything in its current place for the time being.

Severus quietly left Arabella’s house, and looked over at Number Four. He considered entering the house, but decided against it as visiting with the Dursley’s would likely only make him angry. Instead, he walked back to the park where a copse of trees made an excellent apparition point; it was time to talk to Lucius about getting his name cleared, so that Harry would never have to deal with those disgusting Muggles again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a lot of the information in this chapter from the Kushiel's Legacy Trilogy. For those of you worried about what being an Anguisette means for Harry, I want to assure you that he won't have to worry too much about that part of his Inheritance yet; it won't affect him much until he is a little older. You can find more information about Anguisette's on the Kushiel's Legacy Wiki, and I will be adding more information as the story progresses, but if you have any questions feel free to ask. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	9. Mentors and Yearmates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long time between updates! Thank you to all my reviewers, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Harry wasn’t sure how long they knelt there, waiting to be greeted by the Dowayne, but it was long enough that he heard some of the other children begin to fidget; Harry held himself perfectly still, helped by long hours of pretending not to exist whenever the Dursley’s had company, and a glance from the corner of his eye showed that Draco was also able to remain still and silent. Harry heard the sound of several people entering the room, coming to gather behind the kneeling children, and then he heard two sets of footsteps approach the front of the room, before they were finally addressed.

“Welcome, Children of Merlin and Blessed Elua,” the feminine voice was soft, yet strong, and Harry saw Draco look up; figuring that his friend would know what was appropriate, Harry lifted his gaze as well, and saw two figures at the front of the room. “My name is Artemis, the Dowayne of Vervain house, and this is my second, Kristof.” Artemis was an older woman, with a few streaks of grey in her black hair, and eyes the color of amethyst. Her skin was pale-even paler than Draco’s-and her red lips were parted in a gentle smile. The man at her side, Kristof, had brown hair shot through with gold, green eyes paler than Harry’s, and tanned skin. His expression was more solemn than that of Artemis.

“Today is a wondrous day for all of us,” Artemis continued, “I am pleased to see so many new faces, young witches and wizards who have been blessed with a D’Angeline Inheritance. The blood flowing within your veins is something to be proud of, but it does not give you the right to be disdainful of those who are not as blessed as we. Kristof and I will separate you into groups and assign a mentor, who will then pair you up with older students who will be responsible for your well-being, and for making certain you know the rules of Vervain House.”

“Over the next two weeks, Artemis and myself will make an effort to meet with each of you individually,” Kristof’s voice had a slight lilt to it, and Harry wondered where he was from, but the man was still speaking, “We want to know each of our children, and make sure that you feel happy and safe within these walls. Dinner will be served in two hours; you will eat with your mentor group and your assigned Elder Siblings. You will remain with them until supper time, when all the members of the House will meet in the Great Hall. After supper, you will be shown to your rooms and allowed to relax for the remainder of the night.” Kristof took a step back, and Artemis began speaking again.

“Kristof and I will cast a spell to identify who will work best together, and separate you into groups of no more than eight,” she informed her rapt audience, “When your name is called, you will move to the area we direct you to, and wait for your mentor to come to you. There is to be no unnecessary noise while the assignments are being decided.” Artemis turned to Kristof, and they both withdrew their wands, casting the spell as one. Harry shivered as he felt the foreign magic surround him, before withdrawing back to the one who cast it. After a few moments, the Dowayne and her second began calling names.

Harry didn’t pay attention to most of the names, as he didn’t know the people, but he sat up and looked around eagerly when he heard Artemis call out Longbottom, Neville, and saw the boy he had met in Diagon Alley being directed to a section of floor outlined with blue magic. A few minutes later, Draco was called, and Harry saw that he was sent to stand next to Neville; Harry frowned when he saw Draco scowl at the other boy, wondering why the blond was so unhappy. Harry forgot about that in a moment however, as he was overcome with a new worry; what if he wasn’t in the group with Draco? The Dowayne said they were separating them with magic, so what if the magic didn’t think he and Draco belonged together? What if he was put in a different group, and no one liked him?

“Potter, Harry,” Harry was jerked out of his thoughts when Kristof called his name; he shakily got to his feet and moved to the front of the room, breathing a sigh of relief when he was directed to stand with Neville and Draco. Draco immediately took Harry’s hand, and the brunet relaxed enough to smile at Neville, who looked even more nervous than Harry felt. Glancing around, Harry saw that a girl with bushy brown hair was also in their group; her brown eyes were wide with excitement, and they widened even further when she caught sight of Harry-or rather, his scar. Luckily, she wasn’t able to say anything as there were still children to be sorted. Glaring at the bushy-haired girl, was another girl with black hair and brown eyes, who looked completely disgusted with the situation, although she smiled brightly at Draco, who appeared to be ignoring her. Finally, the last boy was called, and Zabini, Blaise joined their group.

“Your mentor group will be like your family while you are here,” Artemis addressed everyone once more, “Help each other, and look to your elder siblings and mentor if ever you are lost. If you feel that you need more help than that, Kristof and I are always available, though we do ask that you seek assistance from your mentor first.”

“Your mentors will be coming to collect you momentarily,” Kristof added, “Please talk quietly amongst your groups until then. Enjoy your afternoon, and we will see you at supper.” Kristof offered Artemis his arm, and the two swept elegantly from the room.

“Draco!” the black-haired girl squealed, barely waiting until the Dowayne had left the room, “I just knew we would be in the same group! Even magic knows that we belong together!” She ran up to the blond, only to frown when Harry dropped Draco’s hand to stand between them, offering the girl a fake smile as he extended his hand.

“Hello,” he voice bright with false cheer, “I’m Harry Potter; are you Draco’s friend? He said I’d be meeting some of his friends today.”

“My name is Pansy Parkinson,” the girl sniffed, ignoring Harry’s outstretched hand, “I am not Draco’s friend, I am his fiancé.” Harry felt his stomach drop at that announcement, although he wasn’t sure why; yes, he and Draco were soulmates, but no one had really explained what that meant. Maybe, soulmates was just another way of saying that they would be best friends, or that Draco was Harry’s protector. Yes, Draco was always saying he would protect Harry, so that must be it. He bit his lip as he turned to face Neville; it made sense really, since two boys couldn’t get married.

“You are not my fiancé,” Harry looked back at Draco as the other boy grabbed his hand once more, “Mother and Father considered it, but the contract was never signed, and now it never will be. Harry is my soulmate.”

“Soulmates?” the other girl in the group was frowning, “I read that being soulmates is very rare, and you have to be at least sixteen to find them.”

“Not true,” the last member added to their group, the Zabini boy, spoke up, “It is easier to find your soulmate once you are sixteen, but some people have found them at a younger age if they happen to be in the room when their soulmate first receives their Inheritance. Is that what happened with you, Draco?”

“Yes,” Draco nodded, “I was with Harry, and I saw the mark on his back and knew he was mine.”

“Ridiculous!” Parkinson scoffed, “Why would you even want that scrawny brat in the first place? Just look at him! Why, Draco darling, your mother and father would never allow you to be bonded to someone flawed like that.”

“Harry isn’t flawed!” Neville spoke up, trembling even as he leapt to Harry’s defense, “He-he’s nice!”

“Stay out of this, piggy,” Parkinson spat, “It doesn’t concern you.”

“Perhaps not,” all the children looked up at the new voice, only to find a man with sandy brown hair and deep brown eyes frowning down at them, “However it does concern me. What is going on here? Yes, um-” He nodded at the bushy-haired girl, who had immediately raised her hand.

“Hermione Granger, sir,” she supplied, “This girl, Pansy, was talking to the blond boy, Draco, and Harry stepped forward to introduce himself. He asked if Pansy was Draco’s friend, and she said that she was his fiancé. Draco said that they aren’t engaged and never will be because Harry is his soulmate. Pansy said that Harry was a scrawny brat and flawed, and that Draco’s parents would never let them get, um, bonded, I think she said. Then Neville here said that Harry isn’t flawed, and then Pansy called him piggy and you showed up. I don’t understand, sir, how can Draco already know that Harry is his soulmate? And how can two boys be together?”

“That information will be explained at a later time,” the man said, “First, I have to say that I am extremely disappointed in all of you for fighting on the first day; there is no call for such behavior. I will let it slide this once, however in the future there will be repercussions, do I make myself clear?” Everyone nodded, and the man smiled pleasantly, “Good. Now, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Remus Lupin, and I will be your mentor. I graduated from Hogwarts’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry about 20 years ago, a proud Gryffindor. I’d like each of you to introduce yourself, and tell us something about you. Miss Granger, why don’t you go first?”

“My name is Hermione Granger,” she offered eagerly, “I’m a Muggleborn, the first witch in my family. Both of my parents are dentists, and we were ever-so-surprised when I not only received my Hogwarts letter, but also an Inheritance. They were also ever-so-pleased, of course, as it explained so many things that happened while I was younger, like the one time when-”

“Thank you, Miss Granger,” Mr. Lupin interrupted gently, “I am eager to hear more about you, but we must allow everyone else a turn to introduce themselves as well. Do I have a volunteer to go next?”

“My name is Pansy Parkinson,” the snooty girl spoke up, “I am engaged to Draco Malfoy, whether he likes it or not, and I am a Pureblood; as such, I see no need to mingle with Half-bloods and Mudbloods. I-” Parkinson’s lips continued to move, but no sound came out, and Harry saw that Lupin was just putting his wand away.

“Comments like that will not be tolerated, Miss Parkinson,” Mr. Lupin said mildly, but Harry thought he saw his eyes flash amber, like the wolf that he saw in the zoo a few weeks ago, “That word is not acceptable, and you will remain under the silencing charm for ten minutes.” He turned his attention to the rest of the group, “Continue, please.”

“My name is Draco Malfoy,” Draco’s voice was calm, although he shot a scathing look at Pansy, “I am not engaged to Parkinson, no matter what the crazy bin-er, crazy girl-seems to believe. My soulmate is Harry Potter, and if anyone harms him I will make them suffer a slow and agonizing death. I am Heir to the Noble House of Malfoy, and descended from the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Your turn, Harry.” Harry glared at Draco for a moment, but only received a smirk and an arched eyebrow in reply, so he sighed and introduced himself.

“My name is Harry Potter. I grew up with my Muggle aunt and uncle, but Severus is going to let me live with him from now on, so I never have to go back there again. Um,” Draco nudged him, and Harry quickly added, “I’m also Draco’s soulmate.” He dropped his voice to a whisper, asking Draco; “Do I tell them the rest?”

“Harry is also an Anguisette,” Draco informed them, clutching Harry’s hand tighter, “We aren’t going to explain that to you, because it’s none of your business, so you will have to find a book if you want to know more.” Draco fell silent, and the Zabini boy spoke next.

“My name is Blaise Zabini,” he said, and Harry noticed he had a slight accent, “I was born and raised in Italy, and my mother is considered the most beautiful witch of her time. I, as far as I know, do not have a soulmate, nor am I betrothed to anyone. Although, may I say that you are looking particularly lovely, Miss Granger?” Harry fought back a laugh as Granger blushed at the wide grin Zabini was giving her. Lupin gave a soft cough, then turned expectantly to Neville.

“M-my name is Neville Longbottom,” he stammered, “My parents were aurors, and now I live with my Gran. Um, I…my uncle gave me a toad for my birthday, and I named him Trevor.” Neville fell silent, looking at his feet.

“Very good,” Mr. Lupin praised, “Our classroom should be ready by now, so follow me; in pairs, if you please. Potter and Malfoy, you may stay together; Granger and Parkinson, and Zabini and Longbottom.” Parkinson glared at Granger, but the other girl ignored it and stepped into place beside her; Zabini and Neville followed the girls, and Harry and Draco brought up the rear. Harry and Draco were the only two holding hands, although Zabini had tried to grab Neville’s hand, simply laughing when the other boy pulled away with a shocked expression.

“Do behave, Blaise,” Draco drawled, “What would your mother say to you causing a scene in public?”

“What would your father say to you holding Potter’s hand in public,” Zabini shot back with a grin.

“Probably the same thing he has said the past two days,” Draco replied, “Which is exactly nothing. Father and Mother are aware of the relationship between Harry and I; Father already claims him as family.” Draco sounded extremely smug at this point, and Harry couldn’t help but blush.

“You don’t have to hold my hand,” he told his friend quietly, “I’m okay without it.” Draco ignored the comment and changed the subject.

“What made you step in front of me like that when Pansy wanted to hug me?” he asked the brunet.

“I-I don’t really know,” Harry averted his gaze, “I just-she was ignoring me, and only talking to you, and I thought she wanted to take you away from me. I-you’re my best friend; you and Neville are the first two friends I’ve ever had, and I guess I just wanted her to know that she wasn’t stealing you from me without a fight.” Harry chanced a look at Draco, and found the blond boy smiling at him, although it was quickly hidden behind a blank mask; oh yes, they were in public now, and Draco had to hide his smiles, although at least his eyes still shone with his happiness.

“No one will ever take me from you,” Draco assured him, “Just like I won’t let anyone take you from me. We’re soulmates Harry; that means we belong together, and no stupid girl is going to get in between us.”

“What about a really smart girl?” Zabini interjected, laughing at Draco’s glare, “What? It was an honest question!”

“Then let me make myself clear,” Draco spoke slowly and clearly, “No one is ever going to get between Harry and me. We are soulmates and best friends, and I won’t let anyone interfere. That includes you, Blaise; I know you like to cause trouble, but you will not cause trouble for Harry or I will make you suffer and, after I am through with you, I will tell Severus. He is, as Harry stated earlier, Harry’s official guardian now, and he won’t take kindly to you causing trouble for him.”

“What? Potter can’t defend himself?” Zabini sneered, “He needs you to protect him?”

“No, I don’t,” Harry glared at the obnoxious boy, “I can take care of myself, and if you mess with me I will make you regret it. Severus said my magic is very strong after my Inheritance, and I have this little problem, you see, where my magic sometimes gets away from me if I’m upset.” Harry’s glare turned into a smile as he continued, “Why, one time I accidentally freed a boa constrictor from the zoo and set him on my cousin; I’d feel really bad if I did something like that to you but, as I said, my accidental magic is still a little wild.” Zabini’s eyes widened as Harry was talking, and then he flashed a bright smile at both him and Draco.

“You’re alright, Potter,” he laughed, “I thought for sure you’d be a stupid Gryffindor, but you just might be a snake yet. I’ll make sure not to get on your bad side.”

“I don’t know,” Harry retorted, “I might want to be a Gryffindor if you’re going to be in Slytherin.”

“Okay, everyone,” Mr. Lupin spoke before Zabini could respond, “We’re in here.” He stopped in front of a room and gestured everyone to precede him inside, “You may sit wherever you like.”

Upon entering, the children found that this was a decently sized classroom, with eight student desks arranged in a semi-circle around the larger teacher’s desk. Parkinson immediately took a seat at one of the middle desks, and Granger was quick to take an end seat. Zabini sat down next to Granger, earning himself a glare, while Draco, ignoring Parkinson’s obvious attempts to get the blond to sit next to her, took the other end seat, pulling Harry to sit down next to him. Neville looked at the room uncertainly for a moment, his face brightening with a smile when Harry beckoned the shy boy to sit on his other side.

“I am going to encourage you to sit next to someone new each day,” Mr. Lupin announced once everyone was seated, “and I expect you to all get along. If you do not like the person you are sitting next to, you will still, at the very least, be polite. When we come back to this room tomorrow the extra desks will have been moved, so be prepared for that. Now, has everyone been told the Eluine Cycle?” The children all nodded, though Harry’s nod was a little uncertain. “Very good. Over the next two weeks we will study the history of Terre D’Ange, literature, geography and the Night Court. I will try to arrange at least one outing while you are here, and we will also spend time in the gardens, time on physical training and studying the arts. You will learn the proper way to kneel, and how to serve gracefully, as well as proper etiquette. I understand that two weeks is not enough time to master everything, so we will cover the basics, and I will provide you with additional study material when the two weeks are over. Breakfast will be at seven every morning, lunch will be at noon, supper at six and lights out at nine pm. Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, the two of you will also be meeting with Lady Phedre, am I correct?”

“Yes, Mr. Lupin,” Draco answered for both of them.

“You will meet with her every other day, and you have the option of meeting either before breakfast or after supper,” Mr. Lupin informed them, “The Comtesse has said she is available at either time.” Draco looked over at Harry, and the brunet shrugged.

“After supper, I believe would be best,” Draco decided, and Mr. Lupin nodded, taking out a piece of parchment and making a note.

“In about an hour we will be joined by some older students who will be assigned as your Elder siblings,” Mr. Lupin said, “They will teach you and guide you when I am not available, and they will also be there to assist you when you return to the Wizarding World, and Hogwarts. Until then, I would like to get to know each of you better; when you are in Terre D’Ange, this is the group you will be in, so it would be best if we can all get along. With that in mind, we are going to play a game.” Mr. Lupin drew his wand and conjured a white ball roughly the size of a grapefruit. “When you have the ball, everyone in the room can ask you one question, and you have to answer it honestly. If you do not want to answer the question for any reason you can decline, and that person has to ask you something else. After you have answered one question from each person in the room, you will throw the ball to someone else and then they have to answer one question from each of us. To start with, you can each ask me a question, starting with Ms. Granger.”

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here's the first chapter; what did you think? I know it's short, but the next one is a bit longer; some of my chapters will be short, while others will be longer. I only have the first few chapters written, so I will update a chapter at least once every two weeks for the first five chapters; after that the posts will likely slow down, but don't worry! I have the whole story plotted out, it's just a matter of typing it up. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and please review!


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